The Starlight Senshi
by kreleia
Summary: Original story following the adventures of a group of senshi in Germany. There is occasional interaction between Ami/SailorMercury and one of my characters.  Does NOT have anything to do with the Three Lights or Sailormoon: Sailorstars.
1. Episode 1: Setting the Stage

**A/N:** Welcome to The Starlight Senshi fan fiction! And, for some of you, it might actually be welcome **back**. :) This story is old. I say that because it was begun back in 1997, and published on my personal webpage, and eventually, my own website. Somehow, in the days of webrings, link pages, and making awards for each other, my little story gained a bit of popularity, and was quite fun to work on. However, times change, WE change, the internet evolved, ...and it's been a very VERY long time since I've written anything in this series. I started it when I was 22, and as of writing this author's note, I'm now 36. My love of SailorMoon has never waned, but my obsession with it has long since passed. Unfortunately, this story became a casualty of life moving on. I would like to finish it, someday. It was starting to evolve into directions that I never originally planned, and gaining some depth that the earliest chapters lack. But I honestly don't know if finishing it will happen. I think about it, and my memories of writing, dreaming, creating and drawing for it are some of my favorites, so it might be. Until then, though, here's the tale as it was presented on that webpage.

P.S. I also still have almost all of the fan art that was given to me and (proudly) displayed on the site. I will be adding those to DeviantArt in the very near future.

* * *

><p><strong>The Starlight Senshi<strong>

Erika Fischer was taking it easy coming home from school. She had just aced her Physics test, and was planning on taking the rest of the afternoon off. Maybe she'd check e-mail to see if Ami Mizuno (or Mizuno Ami, as was the polite way of addressing her) had written her back, or maybe she'd catch a nap while the news was on. It was nice to feel like a gigantic weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Erika's best subject in school was Physics, but it was still challenging. The afternoon sun felt warm on her back, and the cobblestone street was still damp from the early afternoon rainstorm. As she approached a small intersection in the twisted cobblestone street, Erika caught a glimpse of a small white and tan cat racing across into a narrow back alley. Hearing a crash of cans and breaking glass, she ran in after the cat to see what had happened. The alley was tiny and dark, and all Erika could see was a tipped over tin garbage can and a pile of trash. Not wanting to touch anything, she carefully bent over to see if she could see the cat. The trash was foul-smelling and rotten, and it was all she could do to keep her lunch from making a grand re-entrance. Just as she was about to run back to the street and gasp for air, a spot of white off to the side caught her eye. Erika turned toward the patch, and noticed two bright blue eyes staring out at her.

"Well, hello there kitty," she started. "I was just hoping that you were okay." The cat cautiously stepped out of the trash pile it was buried in and blinked at her. A little crescent-moon shaped patch of yellow fur marked its forehead.

"Ooooh, what a pretty cat," Erika half-whispered. She crouched down to get a closer look at the mark. The rest of the cat was white with large tan splotches through its fur, but this little mark was a bright gold-yellow color. Looking decidedly bored, the cat sat down on its haunches and began to give itself a bath. Erika let out a small laugh.

"Well, I'd pet you if you hadn't jumped into this trash pile, but I don't dare think about what might be in here." The cat paused from its bath and looked at her questioningly. Suddenly, Erika got the impression that the cat could understand every word she said. Shaking her head at her absurd imagination, she stood up and began to walk back to the street.

"Stay out of trouble, kitty," she laughed.

* * *

><p>A little while later, Erika was resting in her bedroom. She had checked e-mail, but Ami hadn't responded, and it would still be a while until the news came on. So for now she was lying on her bed half-dozing. A gentle breeze was blowing and her room was filled with the light scent of pansies that grew in her window box. Erika took a deep breath and was just about to fall asleep completely when she heard a faint scratching at the window box. Irritated, she opened her eyes and propped herself up on her elbows to see what was causing the noise. The same white and tan cat she'd seen earlier was perched on the box edge and was sniffing the flowers and dirt.<p>

"Oh, kitty," she started. "That's my flower box, not your litter box. Get down from there!" The cat paused for a second to glance at her, and then went right back to sniffing around.

"I don't think so!" Erika snapped. She lunged at the cat who nimbly jumped out of her reach and into her room. Immediately, it made itself at home and sprawled out on the braided rug in the middle of the floor.

"Oh no," she groaned. "Now I'll have fleas in my rug." The cat looked at her, indignant. "Well, I don't know where you've been, except for that awful trash pile. I suppose if I'm going to kick you out, I'll need rubber gloves." Erika began to head for the door, and the cat jumped up and swiped at her leg. "Hey!" Erika side-stepped, just barely missing the claws. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you could understand every word I've said - you certainly do act like it." Shaking her head, she started toward the door again. This time the cat ran to the door and arched it's back, hissing at her. Erika stopped, now thoroughly confused.

"Ooooooookay," she mumbled to herself. Resigned she sat back down on the bed and sighed. "Let's start this over from the top." The cat walked primly back to the rug and sat. "First," she began, "my window box is not a litter box, so I'd rather you not use it, or even act like you're going to use it." The cat blinked. "Next, I don't know where you've been or whether or not you have fleas, so I have to assume you do." The cat yawned this time. "Look, I'm sorry - obviously you can't tell me how clean you are, can you?" It was meant to be a rhetorical question, but Erika found herself jumping in surprise.

"Well, actually I can," the cat replied in a light female voice. "And I'm not that bad, but it has been a while since I had a decent place to live. Is there a problem?" the cat finally noticed Erika gaping at her in shock.

"Y - You - You're a cat!" she exclaimed. The cat merely cocked her head.

"I thought we had established that in the alley."

"B - But, you're not supposed to talk!"

"Hmpf," the cat took a small lick of her paw. "Well, not all cats can talk. In fact, only a few of us do, so don't go talking to every cat you see and expect a response." Erika was still staring at the feline with her mouth hanging open.

"Ha!" Erika blurted. "Oh my, I wonder if I actually did fall asleep and this is some incredibly bizarre dream," she shook her head and laughed at herself.

"Does this feel like a dream?" the cat asked as she reached out with one claw and left a small red scratch on Erika's bare foot.

"Hey! That hurts!" Erika pulled her foot up and began to examine the mark. "Thanks a lot," she glowered. "And, no, it doesn't feel like a dream." Satisfied, the cat sprawled herself on the rug again.

"Good. Then maybe you'll be more reasonable about what else I have to tell you - what's wrong?" Erika was blowing the top of her foot where the scratch had become bright red and was beginning to swell and itch.

"I'm allergic to cat scratches," Erika snapped. The cat looked alarmed and jumped onto the bed for a closer look.

"Oh no. I'm sorry - had I known..."

"How could you? We just met. Anyway, I'd better go wash this out before it gets bad." The cat looked at her apologetically. "Hey don't worry," Erika said. "It's just a scratch." She got up and walked down the short hall to the bathroom. A few minutes later she returned with a small bandage covering the scratch.

"Now," Erika began. "What's your name?" The cat had resumed her spot on the rug and was dozing slightly. She yawned before answering.

"My name is Cynthia. I am a guardian cat from the Moon Kingdom."

"Cynthia? Isn't that kind of elaborate for a cat?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Well, no."

"Alright then. I am a guardian cat from the Moon Kingdom," she repeated. Erika chuckled.

"Now I know I'm dreaming." Cynthia looked at her in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"There is no kingdom on the moon. There's nothing on the moon except for astronaut footprints and a flag!" Silence filled the room as the two stared at each other. Finally, the cat hung her head in disappointment and jumped onto the bed. She began to sniff at the window box again.

"Where are you going?" Erika asked.

"It seems as though I've made a mistake," Cynthia sighed.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, I was sure that you were one of the members of the royal court of the Moon Kingdom. But that was a thousand years ago - how could you possibly remember?" Cynthia turned and jumped back onto the window box.

"Well wait! No! Tell me about this moon kingdom - I mean, you do talk, so it's possible there's some truth to this." The cat turned and eyed Erika carefully.

"All right," she finally agreed.

* * *

><p>Some time later, Erika was curled up with her head propped against some pillows, deep in thought. Cynthia was washing her face.<p>

"So, all of Queen Serenity's court was sent to earth to be reborn?" Cynthia paused her bath for a moment.

"Well, we're not sure, but most of the Sailor Senshi that have been found were important, well known and respected members of the royal court." Erika nodded, still deep in thought. She knew of Sailor Moon and was a fan of the Senshi fighting in Tokyo. She'd actually met her friend Ami in a chat room about the Senshi. But this side of the story was, well, hard to believe.

"So, where do you come into all of this?" she asked the small cat.

"I am one of the several guardian cats who were sent to find the Senshi and help them remember their past and their mission."

"Oh, okay," Erika paused again. "So, where do I fit in to all of this?" She sat up on the bed and hugged a pillow to her chest. A sudden wave of anxiety swept over her. Cynthia took her time washing her face and then looked solemnly into Erika's eyes.

"Well, if I'm right, you are one of the Sailor Senshi - although I'm still not sure which one."

"You mean, there's more than the five in Tokyo?"

"Yes, and there have been several suggestions that three, maybe more, are here in Hamburg."

"Ooohhhh..." Erika let her thoughts drift for a minute. "So which one am I?"

"Well, like I said, I'm not sure, but I think you may be the Senshi for the center of our galaxy - Sailor Quasar."

"Quasar! But a quasar's not a planet or a star!" Cynthia sighed again.

"Just help me out, please?" the cat pleaded. Erika suddenly felt bad for the outburst.

"Okay, what do you need me to do?"

"First, look into my eyes and concentrate. Don't look away."

"All right." Erika stared straight into the pair of sapphire blue eyes staring back. Suddenly, a bright yellow beam of light shot from the crescent moon mark on Cynthia's forehead on to Erika's forehead.

"Hey!" Erika jerked back in surprise, but didn't break her stare from the cat's eyes.

"Concentrate!" Cynthia scolded. Erika forced herself to calm down and let the cat do... whatever she was doing. Suddenly, everything she'd been told was real and in front of her. It was moving too fast and was silent, but the pain and emotions were real enough. She remembered everything. Her father, the High King, the shadow attack, Queen Serenity and Princess Serenity, Princess Mercury... eventually Cynthia broke the stare.

"Yes, it's you!" she exclaimed as the mark of the quasar dimmed from Erika's forehead. "Sailor Quasar! Hey, are you alright?" Erika had begun to cry, quiet sobs shaking her shoulders and tears flowing freely. "Erika!" Cynthia placed a small white paw on the girl's ankle.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I just can't believe that for so long I didn't..." she broke off, slowly shaking her head.

"It's okay, Erika. You weren't meant to remember until the appropriate time. It's not your fault." She let the girl cry for a while and then jumped down from the bed. Then, without warning, she back-flipped into the air. Erika forgot her tears as she watched a small gold ring drop to the rug.

"What's that?" she asked, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"It's a special transformation ring to be used when a Sailor Senshi is needed." Cynthia picked up the ring in her mouth and jumped back onto the bed. She dropped the ring into Erika's open palm. Erika sniffed and slid it onto her right middle finger.

"It's beautiful," she squeaked through her tear-choked voice. The dark purple jewel sparkled in the light.

"Well, would you like to try it out?" Cynthia asked. Erika shrugged.

"Can I? I mean, nothing's happening."

"Well, nothing yet, but you might as well try it," Cynthia replied, every bit as curious as Erika.

"Okay, what do I do?"

"Say, 'Quasar Light Power.'" Erika stood up from her bed and walked to the middle of her room.

"Okay, here goes," but she hesitated.

"Go on," urged Cynthia. Finally, Erika took a deep breath and raised her right fist over her head.

"QUASAR LIGHT POWER!" Suddenly a blinding white light burst from the jewel. Forming two bands, the light quickly twisted and twirled around Erika's body. Where it touched, a Sailor uniform appeared. When it finally broke away in a final burst of light, Erika was left standing in a yellow uniform with a purple skirt, collar and boots. Her tiara had a purple jewel in the point. Staring at her reflection in the mirror on her door, Erika began to finger the uniform. A smile gradually spread across her face.

"Oh - Oh my - this is amazing!" she laughed. Cynthia chuckled as well.

"It looks great on you!" the cat complimented.

"You think?" Erika gently pulled off the tiara and inspected it. "Wow... this is... this is... oh great. I'm really in trouble now," she grinned.

"Well, not yet, but soon enough, I'm sure," Cynthia purred.


	2. Episode 2: Enter Sailor Quasar

The Wiseman gazed at the female figure kneeling before him. He chuckled to himself softly as the dark thrill of having someone bow to him prickled his discolored skin. The woman glanced up at the noise, her aqua blue eyes flashing.

"Rubius is a fool!" she hissed at the Wiseman. He will never succeed in taking the star points of Crystal Tokyo."

"Peace, young one," the Wiseman sneered. "Your brother's assignment is of no concern to you." The woman stood up from her knees and walked back a few steps. Her black wavy hair flowed around her shoulders contrasting the blue-gray of her loose robe. She glared coldly at the wrinkled figure sitting before her.

"Then why did you summon me?" she clenched her fists. "I will not stand for petty odd-jobs while my brother botches all efforts for control of Crystal Tokyo. Give me something worthwhile to do or leave me alone."

"Don't worry, I think you'll find my requests and assignment very worthwhile," the Wiseman chuckled again. The woman crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. The Wiseman continued, "Crystal Tokyo is the center of Neo-Queen Serenity's kingdom in the future, but no one has ever considered the rest of earth. While Rubius is busy with Tokyo, the rest of the world will be completely unsuspecting. The people of other countries would never think that such things could happen in their own cities, and they would be totally unprepared. They could be conquered swiftly and easily." The woman shifted her weight and tucked a stray hair behind one ear.

"But what about Sailor Moon and her cohorts? They've foiled two of Rubius' attempts so far," she snapped. The Wiseman shook his head in mock pity.

"My dear, Sailor Moon and her brat pack live in Tokyo and travel on foot. They will never know of our presence in other lands." The woman looked surprised for a moment before her expressions turned to suspicion.

"Then where do you want me to start?" she asked.

"I've chosen a land that's seen its share of wars and grief. Its people now long for peace and unity, and will be too busy working to rebuild their country to notice our presence. By the time anything is suspected, enough people will be under our control that it will be too late," his voice trailed off into a whisper. The woman grinned.

"I see," she replied. "Which land have you chosen?" The Wiseman cackled.

"I knew you would be reasonable. The place I have chosen is the city of Hamburg in the European country of Germany." The woman nodded. "Take with you whomever you wish and who is reliable. I will NOT tolerate failure - your brother does well enough at that without your help."

"I understand, wise one," the woman held up her right hand in a fist. "I won't fail you..."

* * *

><p>Erika sat on her bed inspecting the most recent additions to her cat scratch collection. Cynthia sat on the window ledge letting the late afternoon breeze dry out her fur. The white and tan patches stood out in spiky wet clumps after Erika's fairly successful attempt at a bath, and the cat had taken to licking her fur furiously while ignoring Erika.<p>

"Well, I suppose you still have the same fears and instincts of a cat, even if you can talk," Erika looked up at the miffed feline. Cynthia merely glared in return. Erika chuckled softly to herself. "At least you smell better."

"There was nothing wrong with the way I smelled! I can certainly say that you wouldn't have smelled any better if you'd spent the last few months in garbage heaps and alleyways - besides, it would have gone away in time," Cynthia growled.

"Yeah, maybe so. But in the mean time, that stench was something awful. You saw my mother's reaction when I asked to keep you," Erika retorted. Still nursing her injured pride, Cynthia glared hard at Erika and returned to licking. She knew she wouldn't win this argument.

A few hours later, Erika closed her Physics book and sighed. For some strange reason she just wasn't able to concentrate on anything tonight. She looked over to the old ice skate box next to her closet. Cynthia had taken a liking to one of her old blankets and was now curled up in the box on the blanket asleep. Erika stretched her legs and stood up. Maybe she'd check out the news. Quietly, she opened the bedroom door and made her way to the kitchen. Her mother was in the front room watching TV and her brother was probably in his room finishing up his homework or listening to CDs. Her father was working late tonight and wasn't home yet. Erika flipped on the light above the kitchen table and grabbed the newspaper sitting on the edge of the counter. But before she could open it, she was overwhelmed with a strong sense of urgency. Curious, she glanced around the room. Her mother hadn't moved and nothing was out of the ordinary. Then her right middle finger tingled. She looked down at the gold ring Cynthia had given her - Cynthia! Erika raced back to her room to find the cat standing rigid at the window sill. Her tail twitched.

"What's going on!" Erika demanded as the feeling grew stronger.

"I'm not sure," Cynthia answered. "But it may be time to try out your Sailor skills." Erika blinked in surprise.

"You mean now?"

"Yes!" The urgent feeling quickly squelched her hesitation. She took a deep breath and braced herself.

"Okay - QUASAR LIGHT POWER!" Cynthia turned to look outside so she wouldn't be blinded by the light of the transformation. Something about the night made the fur on her back rise and she hissed. She glanced back again to see Erika in her Sailor uniform ready for action.

"Let's go!" Cynthia leapt out the open window to the cobblestone street below. Erika followed and landed in a graceful crouch beside her.

"You lead the way," she called. Cynthia gave a quick nod and bounded toward the outskirts of the city with Erika hot on her heels.

A short while later, the two rounded a corner and found themselves in a small square. Everything was dark and quiet, and the only light came from the half moon that glowed overhead. Across the square, Erika could make out three shadows moving silently.

"Who are they?" she asked the cat.

"I'm not sure, but it doesn't look like they're up to anything good," Cynthia trailed off as the voice from one of the figures reached them. The words were difficult to make out, but cruel laughter could be heard. It sounded like a woman's voice. Erika and Cynthia backed into the shadows as the three figures walked into the dim light.

"Remember," said the faint female voice. "The two of you must act quickly and silently. If anyone becomes alarmed then our cover will be blown. I will NOT tolerate failure. If I wanted that I'd be working with Rubius to gain control of Crystal Tokyo. Have I made myself clear?" The woman's pale face shown in the light and Erika thought she could make out a dark smudge on her forehead. The other two figures bowed quickly to the woman.

"Yes, Saphrina," one answered.

"Good!" the woman snapped. The air around her suddenly grew darker than the night, and then she was gone.

"So now what do we do?" Erika asked the cat in a harsh whisper.

"Well, you could start by shedding some light on the situation so we can see who they are," Cynthia replied.

"How?" Erika shrugged.

"That's your department," Cynthia looked baffled. "You were the one trained as a senshi, remember?"

"That was a thousand years ago!" Erika's whisper broke in a squeak.

"So...?" Cynthia looked impatient. "We're running out of time, they're about to leave. Just do what seems natural." Erika bit her lip as she tried desperately to remember what to do. Then inspiration struck. Putting her hands together like she was going to pray, she shouted,

"Quasar illumination!" and pushed her hands out in front of her. The square was instantly filled with an intense light that baffled the two men standing in the center.

"What the - ?" one started. "Let's get out of here!" The two bolted down a narrow street across from where Erika and Cynthia stood. This time, Erika sped after them first with Cynthia following.

"Don't let them get away!" Cynthia cried as the two raced through the narrow streets. Erika didn't answer, though, since she was using her full concentration to try and keep track of the swift shadows. Finally, she stopped in a vacant lot, exhausted. She could no longer see the two shadows of the men.

"We've got to keep going!" Cynthia urged. Erika bent over, resting her hands on her knees.

"I can't see them anymore. Besides, I need to catch my breath," she managed to say between breaths.

"Oh good, just what we need. Two enemies roaming freely through the streets of Hamburg," Cynthia remarked.

"I'm sorry Cynthia," Erika puffed. "Look, I tried. I'm just not in very good shape, and they're a lot faster than me." Cynthia sighed.

"Then they're definitely our enemies."

"What makes you so sure?" Erika stood up and started walking around, trying to stop the blood from pounding in her head.

"Well, as a Sailor Senshi, your physical abilities are augmented. That means you can run as fast, or faster than anyone, and you didn't have any trouble keeping up with me. If those two can outrun you, then they're definitely not human."

"Wonderful," Erika ran her hand across her eyes to wipe the sweat out of them. Then she took off her tiara and started drying it with her skirt. Cynthia watched disapprovingly.

"You know, since it's dark, I really don't think anyone's going to mind what you look like," the cat quipped.

"It's not that," Erika shook her head at the feline. "It's preventative maintenance."

"For what?"

"So I don't break out on my forehead," she grinned.

"Oh great," the cat rolled her eyes. "We lose our enemies in a chase, and she worries about zits."

"Hey! You can never be too careful," she smiled as she replaced the tiara.

"Maybe you should keep that in mind, Sailor!" a gruff voice mocked just behind the pair. Erika and Cynthia spun around to face... something. It hovered a few centimeters above the ground, and whether it was male of female was nearly impossible to tell in the dark.

"Quasar illumination!" The vacant lot burst into bright light, leaving both Erika and Cynthia blinking. The thing, sparkling in what looked like jeweled armor, didn't flinch.

"Who are you!" Erika demanded. The being laughed richly.

"No one to be trifled with, and that's all you need to know," it replied.

"Then what do you want?"

"A simple thing, really - your death," a grin spread across its face.

"I don't think so," Erika snapped. "I am Sailor Quasar, defender of the center of our galaxy! My home was already destroyed once, and I won't stand by while my new home is in danger. With the light of the galaxy, I'll defeat you!" Surprised by her own outburst, Erika gaped at the sparkling being.

"Nice speech," Cynthia muttered. Erika glanced down and shrugged.

"It just popped out, sorry."

The being burst into a fit of laughter. "So, Sailor, you think you can defeat an experienced warrior like me with light? Let's see how this works!" The being sent a shock of black energy toward Erika. Totally unprepared, it plunged right into her midsection, knocking her flat on her back.

"Ow," she groaned. "That didn't feel good." Struggling, she pulled herself up to a standing position and faced the being - this time with a little less confidence. She needed a second to think, to remember an attack that would at least weaken her opponent. "Cynthia do something," she begged the cat. The being laughed again.

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty," it mocked, circling the pair. Cynthia looked disgusted and scowled at Erika.

"I need time to remember an attack," she explained to the disgruntled feline. "Hopefully only a few seconds." Even as she spoke, Erika's mind was whirling through the memories of her previous life, searching. Without a word, Cynthia leaped at the being's most vulnerable spot - the eyes. Surprised, it took the thing a split second to realize what was happening, but it was enough. As it effortlessly swatted the cat to the ground, Erika concentrated her strength and jumped toward it. She landed a sharp punch in the thing's midsection, between armor plates. An audible groan escaped the being, but it whirled fast enough to catch Erika by her long braid. Erika was jerked to the ground by the sudden halt, and her head pounded with sharp stabs of pain. Blurry-eyed, she crawled to her knees and tried not to wretch from the pain. As she gasped for cool air, she noticed that Cynthia was lying unconscious on the ground, and realized she was completely alone for the moment. This could very well be the end of her, unless some kind of miracle occurred. Through the throbbing pain, she could hear the being laughing somewhere above her, and realized that the light had faded from the vacant lot.

"This is almost too easy. It's a pity that you had to die in your first fight, though," sarcasm filled the comment. Carefully, Erika stood up again to face the creature. Grasping her stomach, she began to gather her strength again. The being seemed to like mocking her, and as long as she looked like she was in pain, it went on doing so. Out of the corner of her eye, Erika saw Cynthia stir.

"This isn't over yet, monster," Erika spat. The being chuckled, highly amused at the sight of this girl trying to win. Erika summoned all of the strength she had and jumped high into the air. With a swift twist, she managed to nail the monster in the side of the head with a kick. Howling in pain, the thing grabbed for Erika's leg, but this time missed. Erika landed in a crouch behind it. Cynthia was now sitting up, somewhat dazed from being knocked to the ground.

"Cynthia, if there's anything you haven't told me that I should know, now is the time," Erika called to her companion. The cat just moaned. Erika now found herself dodging subsequent blasts of dark energy as fast as she could, jumping and landing only to jump again. Within a few minutes, she felt like she would collapse from exhaustion if this didn't stop. Aching and partly blinded from the tears and sweat, Erika felt her reflexes beginning to fade. Just as she was about to give up, she noticed a small white streak fly towards the monster's head from behind. This time, the monster was too busy to notice, and suddenly found itself clawing at the white and tan fur that had latched onto the top of its head. Instinctively, Erika pulled her tiara from her forehead and held it to her chest with both hands. Before she realized it, she had called,

"Quasar Energy Incineration!" and thrust the tiara out in front of her. A hot white ball of energy burst from the jewel on the tiara and grew to engulf the enemy. Cynthia jumped out of the way just as the ball reached the monster, and turned in time to see the final ashes of the being fade into oblivion. Exhausted, the novice Sailor Senshi fell to her knees and began to sob. Cynthia carefully walked to her and waited until the sobs has calmed down a bit.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her own body aching from the fight. Erika looked up at the cat and nodded, even though her eyes were still filled with tears and pain.

"Let's go home," Erika sniffed through her tears. "I think the walk will do me some good." Cynthia nodded and Erika pulled herself to her feet. The two gingerly picked their way through the city towards home.

* * *

><p>About an hour later, Erika flopped onto her bed exhausted. She had showered and washed the dirt from her cuts and bruises, but her head still hurt from her hair being yanked so hard, and her muscles were already starting to stiffen from all of the physical activity. It would probably take at least 20 minutes for the aspirin to take effect. Turning carefully, she looked down at the cat bathing herself in the ice-skate box.<p>

"So, is this what I'm to expect every time?" she asked.

"I don't know," Cynthia looked up from her bath. "This was the first time for me as well." Erika nodded slowly.

"But do you know if this was particularly bad or strong, or anything like that?" Erika desperately hoped that it wouldn't be this difficult all the time.

"Well, if my contacts with the other guardian cats have taught me anything, it's that you should never expect the same thing twice. That to me would mean that it only gets harder." Erika groaned and eased herself under the covers.

"Well, at least we won," she said, hardly excited about the whole situation. "I wonder if Ami knows any of the Sailor Senshi in Tokyo..."

"Who's Ami?" Cynthia asked.

"Oh, a girl I met in a chat room about the Sailor Senshi. She's lives in Tokyo and she's really smart, and very nice. Maybe I'll ask her." Erika yawned and reached over to turn off her lamp.

"Are you going to tell her about this?" Cynthia sounded nervous.

"I dunno, why?"

"Because I think it would be a big mistake to tell anyone about you being a Senshi, no matter how nice they are."

"Oh Cynthia, you worry too much. Besides, if I do, and she knows them, maybe I could get some advice." Erika heard a low growl come from the cat, and she knew she'd better stop talking about it. "Oh fine. Good night, Cynthia," she yawned again.

"Good night Erika," Cynthia sighed.


	3. Episode 3: A Different Introduction

Erika sat outside in the warm mid-day sun eating her lunch. Cynthia was relaxing on the grass in front of her, and three girls sat around the pair laughing and chatting. Erika was having a hard time paying attention to their conversation though. Her body was bruised and stiff enough to hurt even when she wasn't moving. Her first fight as Sailor Quasar two nights before had been a fierce one - she'd had to miss school the next day because she just couldn't move. Thankfully, her mother hadn't gotten too curious about her "illness."

"So, Erika, what do you think about going dancing tomorrow night?" Erika turned, carefully, to face her friend Katja (pronounced Kat-ya).

"Sounds fun, but I'll have to see how I'm feeling." She'd told the group that she hadn't been feeling great during the week.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Katja answered.

"Oh come on," Brita laughed. "Everyone feels better on the weekend!" She jabbed a friendly elbow into Erika's side. Erika doubled over from the pain of her bruised flesh being touched.

"Hey, I'm sorry," Brita gasped. "I didn't think I hit you that hard."

"No problem," Erika groaned. "I guess being sick has just made me more sensitive that usual." Katja and Brita exchanged confused glances above Erika's back and shrugged.

"Hey guys, would you care if my sister and her friend came along?" The girls all looked over to Liesel, the quiet girl in the group. Katja grinned.

"Sure, why not?" she replied. "The more the merrier - but how old are they?"

"Oh, just about a year younger than us," Liesel answered.

"What do you think, guys?" Katja turned back to Erika and Brita - Erika was now gingerly rubbing her side.

"That's fine with me!" Brita chimed, and Erika nodded. Liesel smiled.

"Great! I'll let them know."

About an hour later, Erika was walking to her last class. She was lost in thought and really wasn't paying attention to what was going on around her. Her body aches were enough to keep her focused on moving one foot in front of the other without groaning. She was glad that Cynthia had offered to stay outside these last couple of days. There just wasn't any way she could have carried the feline in her bag. The halls were beginning to clear out now as people filed into their classrooms. Erika tried to speed up a little so she wouldn't be late. She glanced at her watch and stopped as she realized it had died. It still showed 12:30 as the time. Suddenly, Erika found herself falling forward from being slammed from behind. She hit the ground and looked up to see what had happened. A tall girl with long dark hair stood over her with a surprised look on her face.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" I was hurrying so fast to class that I didn't see you. Are you okay?"

Erika nodded and managed to squeak, "Yeah, I think so."

"Here let me help you up," the girl held out her hand. Erika took it and grimaced as she was pulled to her feet.

"You sure you're okay?" the girl had caught Erika's expression while she was helping her up. Erika plastered a cheesy grin on her face and nodded.

"Okay, well, see you around," her dark brown waist-length hair flowed behind her as she hurried off to her class. The bell clanged and Erika found herself alone in the hallway as the last students slipped into their classes. Sighing, she slung her bag back over her shoulder and started hobbling towards class again.

* * *

><p>The two dark figures stared down at their feet. The vocal lashing they'd just been through was enough to make them hang their heads, not a common occurrence. Saphrina eyed the two misfits coldly and reconsidered her choice of accomplices. They had already been clumsy enough to be caught - but by who, they didn't know, they hadn't bothered to look. This was when the verbal abuse had become severe. One of them had paused just long enough to catch a glimpse of a shadow that looked like a girl with a tail. Then he had called the monster to attack and they'd both taken refuge in the dilapidated cabin Saphrina had chosen to use as their rendezvous. Hundreds of these abandoned structures were scattered through the region, so no one would be likely to suspect anything. But they had been given strict orders and had not carried out any of them yet. With Rubius bumbling around Tokyo, Saphrina was hoping to polish her image with Wiseman. He certainly didn't need - or want - two failing fools, and she knew even Wiseman had a limit to his patience.<p>

"Look at me," she ordered the two misfits. The boys reluctantly raised their heads. "I hope you'll realize what this has cost us - ALL of us. We have lost precious time and my foolish brother is still screwing up his part enough in Tokyo. If this is what I'm to expect every time you get caught or are cowardly enough to run from your inferiors, then I don't want to see either of you return. If you do, then I'll send you to Wiseman and he can deal with you." The two young men fidgeted visibly, which irritated her more, but also gave her a twinge of satisfaction - they were afraid. "Now get busy," Saphrina turned her back on them and walked slowly across the dark room. The two young men turned and teleported themselves outside the shack.

"How could we have been so stupid?" the taller of the two grumbled. His brown hair hung carelessly in his eyes, even though the sides and back were cut short. His eyes were a strange violet color that almost seemed to glow in the dim moonlight, and a small silver ring sparkled in his left eyebrow. "You and I both know better than to run like cowards from the first sign of opposition. What happened to us!" he clenched his fists. The other young man stood beside him with his hands shoved deeply into his pockets. His light green shoulder-length hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his neck.

"We were caught off guard," he justified. "We didn't expect to be confronted so soon." The first one growled a response and shot a glare at his companion. "Hey! How were we supposed to know!" he defended himself.

"You idiot, Rax! That's when we're supposed to be at our best! We are as useless as a set of lost keys if all we can do is turn our backs and run!" his violet eyes flashed in the late afternoon sun as he scowled at the underling next to him. He was no partner - only a coward who'd been drawn into this with promises of wealth and power. Fool.

"Well then what do you propose we do Dain?" Rax spat. His question was met with an icy silence.

* * *

><p>"No way, Cynthia! I am <em>way<em> too sore to go out gallivanting tonight. Can't we wait until I can at least walk down the stairs without hugging the rail?" The white and tan cat regarded Erika coolly for a moment. This sympathy thing was starting to wear on her. She sighed.

"Erika, I know how badly you hurt right now, but you must understand that evil doesn't wait for your stiff muscles to go away. They could attack anywhere at anytime and you need to be prepared! Your fighting skills especially need to be sharpened. You were almost killed the other night, and I can't afford to lose you."

"What about the others that you keep mumbling about?" Erika was slumped in a chair in front of the evening news. She was putting on her best "I'm exhausted" face, even though the pain in her body was starting to subside.

"They haven't been found yet!" Cynthia rolled her eyes - an unusual sight for a cat.

"Well, I don't see you looking very hard," Erika smirked. This comment earned her a new scratch on her ankle. "Ow! Hey, if you keep that up I'll have you declawed!"

"What's going on with you Erika? I thought you were excited about being one of the Sailor Senshi." Erika carefully pushed herself out of the chair and hobbled to the kitchen.

"I was until that sparkly armored... whatever attacked me the other night. Honestly, I don't know that I want to deal with that stuff whenever I get the urge to dress in a skimpy outfit with purple boots," she scoffed. Cynthia hung her head and pawed the floor impatiently.

"We've already had this conversation, Erika. You accepted the responsibility to help protect the Moon Princess over a thousand years ago!"

"That was then!" Erika retorted. "Besides, you've never told me if the Moon Princess is even alive!"

"She is! And she's leading the Senshi in Tokyo to victory over the evil that keeps attacking there!" Erika paused for a minute, her mind flying through everything she knew about the Tokyo Senshi.

"You mean Sailor Moon is the Moon Princess!" Erika walked back into the living room toward her chair with a handful of potato chips. Cynthia nodded. "Well, if she's in Tokyo leading the original Sailor Senshi, then what do you need me for?" she carefully lowered herself back into the chair.

"Well, aside from the obvious incident the other night, I really don't know. I was just told to seek out the Starlight Senshi here in Hamburg."

"We have a title!" Erika chuckled through her mouthful. "Oh this just keeps getting better." Cynthia glowered.

"Are you going to let me train you or not?" the feline snapped. Erika peered down at her as she licked the grease and salt from her fingers. Realizing that the cat was frustrated and tired of arguing, Erika decided to drop the argument and shrugged.

"Yeah, fine. Let's go."

"It's about time," Cynthia cheered. "Now we can finally get down to business."

Erika slipped on her shoes and a jacket against the chill of the evening, and stepped outside. The cat followed her onto the small landing and rubbed against her legs. "Where to boss?" Erika glanced down at her small companion.

"Follow me," Cynthia jumped down the steps and began to trot through the dusky street.

* * *

><p>"Mom, I'm going out!" Karin called as she stepped out of the front door. She waited a second for a response and swung the door shut when no one answered. She had found herself with nothing to do after her homework was done, and decided that TV was not the way she wanted to spend her evening. Brushing her long hair out of her face, Karin walked briskly out of the cul-de-sac where she lived. Losing herself in her thoughts, Karin let herself wander aimlessly through the familiar streets of her neighborhood. Cars full of teenagers cruised by with wild techno music hammering from the open windows, and shops were beginning to close. None of this bothered her, though, as she concentrated on the thoughts buzzing through her head.<p>

Erika and Cynthia stopped in a grassy square at the edge of town. The sun was down and most of the people had gone home. Cynthia hopped onto a bench sitting under some trees and made herself comfortable. Erika glanced around.

"So, now what? I thought you were going to train me," she asked. The cat gazed at her calmly.

"I am, but do you want to take the chance of someone seeing you transform?"

Erika shrugged. "Well, no, I guess not."

"Then we'll have to wait a few more minutes."

"Okay, then at least explain to me what we're going to do."

Karin looked up and found herself in a grassy square at the edge of town. She knew the square well and came here often when she wanted to be alone. The evening was getting darker and most people were gone. Karin found a quiet spot where she knew she wouldn't be bothered and sat down. She played with the zipper on her jacket as the last of the sunlight faded from the sky. Her thoughts continued to buzz through her head, refusing to let her have a completely restful moment.

"I can't believe this university exam is only a year away... I wonder where I'll go... I wonder if I still need to study more for tomorrow... nah... I wonder what that weird feeling of dread was all about the other night... I hope that girl I ran into today is alright... I can't believe someone is still in the square now..." Karin turned around to peer through the bushes she was sitting among. The voices were coming from her right and sounded female. She looked harder and realized that one of the voices was the girl she'd run into in school with a white-ish cat - but who was she talking to?

"That's odd, I've never seen her here before," she mumbled to herself. "Maybe I should go say hi." Karin stood up and brushed off the seat of her pants. The bushes around her created a tall hedge that she could just barely see over, but it was dark enough that she knew the girl wouldn't see her. She followed the hedge to one of the tall trees at the edge of the square and rounded the corner. She stopped for a moment wondering if maybe she'd scare the girl. In this moment of hesitation, though, Karin saw something she'd never forget. The small cat jumped from the bench and turned around in such a way that it looked like it might attack the girl. Then a voice said,

"It's time!" Karin watched as the girl from school got up from the bench and punched her right fist into the air.

"QUASAR LIGHT POWER!"

Karin found herself shielding her eyes from the brilliant light that suddenly twisted around and engulfed the girl. But she also found her curiosity getting the better of her and couldn't help but try to see what was happening. In the next second, the girl from school - or who had been - stood with her right fist in the air and her left fist on her hip in one of the strangest looking outfits Karin had ever seen. The boots on her feet and tiara wrapped around her forehead topped it off, and for a brief moment (very brief), Karin wondered if she might be some kind of strange exotic dancer.

"Okay Cynthia, let's get started," the girl grinned.

"Right. First I need to see..." the voice faded into the background as Karin suddenly realized that the CAT was talking. Shaking her head, she glanced back over to her spot in the bushes to see if maybe she'd fallen asleep, and this was all some kind of crazy dream. But the spot was empty, and the chill in the air let her know that she was indeed awake. Turning her attention back to the strange pair, she found the skimpy-suited ("is that a sailor outfit?") girl running around the square at full speed. Her posture was horrible, and her legs were flying in every direction, but she was fast. Karin couldn't stand to watch such awful technique, though, weird girl or not. Her personal training with running was repulsed with almost every step the girl took. Finally, when her patience couldn't stand it any longer, the girl collapsed.

"I can't run anymore, Cynthia. I'm just too sore," she panted. Karin decided to make herself known. At least she could try to help out with the girl's running. She stepped out from the shadow of the hedge.

"Sure you can," she piped. The girl and the cat both looked up in shock. "You just need to learn how to do it better."

"Who are you?" the girl gasped from her hands and knees.

"Karin Wallace," she smiled down and offered her hand to the sailor-suited runner. Cautiously, the girl took it and pulled herself up, Karin watched the same grimace of pain wash over her face as had earlier. "I take it you don't do a lot of running." The girl shook her head, her long braid bobbing up and down.

"No, but lately some situations have come up that require me to." Karin nodded.

"Yeah, that would probably explain why you were in so much pain when I helped you up earlier today," Karin grinned as the shock returned to the girl's face, which she tried to hide.

"What do you mean?" the girl asked in surprise. Karin laughed.

"I mean at school when I ran into you today." The girl glanced cautiously at the cat and then back to Karin.

"You must have me mistaken for someone else," she chided. Karin shook her head.

"Nope, not with that hair - and besides, I saw you change."

Erika glanced back down at the Cynthia who was trying her best to play dumb, without much success. "How long have you been here, and just how much have you seen?"

"Since sundown, and most of it. Why? What's the big secret?" Erika looked down at the cat hoping she'd step in. Instead, Cynthia started to bathe her face.

"I'm not sure," Erika let out a nervous sigh and tried to smile. "I'm Sailor Quasar. It's nice to meet you."

"Sailor?" Karin glanced over the odd outfit Erika was in and nodded. "Okay, I suppose that makes sense. Sailor... what?"

"Quasar."

"Quasar?"

"Yeah, it's a long story..." Erika trailed off.

"I'm sure," Karin laughed. "So, introduce me to your cat. I know she can talk too." Sailor Quasar's eyes glinted with mischievousness, and she scooped up the white-tan creature.

"Cynthia, this is Karin, our spy," the cat looked blankly at Karin and started to struggle. "Oh give it up, she's heard you talking already." The cat stopped her struggle and hung her head.

"Nice to meet you," she mumbled. Karin laughed.

"What a trip! A talking cat!" she grinned.


	4. Episode 4: Sailor What?

Karin reached over and gently scratched Cynthia between her ears. The worried feline looked up at the smiling girl and sighed.

"Oh quit worrying," Karin grinned. "I'm not going to tell anybody that you can talk." Cynthia couldn't help but still feel wary, though, even if the scratch felt this good. A small purr escaped her before she realized it.

"Well, there you go," Erika-as-Sailor-Quasar teased. "See? She's not so bad after all, is she?"

Cynthia blinked. "No, I guess not," she relented.

"Great!" Karin beamed. "Then let me help you train Ms. Quasar."

"Alright. You said something about running better," Cynthia prompted.

"Yeah, I did. See, I've been running every morning for the last five years, or so, and I've had lots of personal training on how to do it correctly, how to breath, and all that. So, if you let me help you, I'd bet that I can increase your speed just tonight!" Karin was practically jumping with excitement. No one she knew had really ever taken much interest in her favorite pastime before.

Erika felt herself catch some of Karin's excitement, and a smile spread across her face. "Cynthia, that would be great! Then maybe next time I won't lose those two creeps we saw the other night!"

Cynthia could hardly argue when it was all put into that perspective. "Well, let's get busy then," she purred as she jumped out of Erika's arms and back onto the bench.

"Great!" Karin grinned and immediately took over. "Okay, first thing is your breathing. You really need to keep it steady..." her voice trailed into the background as Cynthia made herself comfortable on the bench. She watched the two girls with interest, and realized that the two actually looked quite comfortable with each other - even though Erika was in her Senshi fuku. Within a few minutes, Karin had sent Erika around the square at a steady jog so that Erika could work on her breathing, and Cynthia was lost in thought.

_She __almost __looks __like __she's __done __this __before,_ the cat mused. _I __wonder __if __she's __coached __other __people. __Erika's __already __running __much __better, __and __if __she __pushed __herself __a __little, __she __could __probably __run __faster __than __she __was __earlier._

"Okay, good, now bring up the speed a little more," Karin encouraged. Erika increased her pace some. "Now keep your toes straight in front of you, and your legs underneath you. Straighten your back."

Cynthia purred to herself as the Sailor warrior's posture and speed both improved dramatically. _Excellent!_ she beamed quietly.

A little while later, a half-dozing Cynthia heard Karin call the training to a halt. "That was excellent! You're already running a lot better," she applauded lightly as Erika slowed down to a fast walk.

"It feels a lot better, for sure," Erika agreed. "I had no idea there was a right way and a wrong way to run," she shrugged as she gradually slowed her walk.

"Steady breathing..." Karin prompted. Cynthia heard Erika inhale deeply as she paced around the bench. "Looks like our furry partner has decided it's nap time," Karin half-whispered.

"I've heard every word -" Cynthia broke off as a large yawn interrupted her, "- you've said." She shook her head vigorously. The two girls giggled at her.

"Yeah, and probably a few we didn't say," Erika teased.

"Cats don't dream," Cynthia snapped indignantly. The girls laughed again. None of them noticed two shadowy figures watching them at the edge of the bushes.

* * *

><p>From their point of view, the conversation was too quiet to be clear, but the two young men didn't care about that. Instead they were busy watching the strangely dressed girl walk around the bench. Her long braid swung back and forth as she walked. Dain smiled to himself, pleased at their discovery.<p>

"That's got to be her, Rax. That's the one that surprised us the other night. She looks like she's part of that brat-pack in Tokyo, but she's the only one," Dain's eyes glowed slightly as he puzzled over the situation.

"I didn't think that they were here," Rax growled impatiently.

"I don't think Saphrina thought they would be here," Dain glared at his partner. "But she's the only one that's shown up, so I wonder if maybe she's different." Rax snorted beside him.

"Yeah, and as soon as we try to attack her, the rest of them will come," Rax shot a glance at Dain that clearly indicated what he thought about him.

"You're such a fool, Rax," Dain said icily. "Sailor Moon and her followers are in Tokyo, remember? This is Germany - we're on the other side of the world! There's no way they could get here that fast, Sailor Senshi or not!"

"Okay, Master Dain, prove it!" Rax's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Send another youma, or better yet, go yourself. Then we'll see how fast the other Sailor Senshi show up." He glared at Dain, daring him to attack.

Dain felt his anger flare. "Fine. I'm going to find out, only because you don't think I dare." He closed his eyes to summon one of the youma, one that he knew would take more than one person to defeat. _This __will __also __give __us __a __chance __to __find __out __how __strong __this __new __girl __really __is,_ he added silently.

* * *

><p>"By the way, what's your real name?" Karin looked quizzically at Sailor Quasar, who was now drying off her tiara with her skirt. "You might as well tell me, since I really can't call you Sailor Quasar at school," she rationalized. Sailor Quasar shrugged.<p>

"You're right," she agreed. "My name's Erika Fischer." Karin nodded, pleased to finally know who she was talking to.

"Do you live around here? I don't remember ever seeing you in this square before," she watched as Erika slid her tiara back onto her forehead.

"Um..." Erika glanced around at her surroundings. "Not really. Cynthia and I just walked until we found someplace we thought would be private. I mean, I don't live too far from here, but I don't remember ever being to this square before."

Suddenly Cynthia sat bolt upright, her ears strained and her tail puffing to twice its normal size. Both girls looked at her in surprise.

"Something's wrong," Cynthia hissed. She stood up, her back arched. Karin looked from Erika to Cynthia and back. Erika had the most serious expression she'd seen all night.

"What - ?" she started, but fell silent when Erika started shaking her head.

"Cynthia, get Karin to someplace safe," Erika mumbled softly. "I don't want her getting hurt." Cynthia nodded and jumped down from the bench. Just as suddenly, Karin was overcome with a sense of dread.

"No. Erika I won't leave you alone, not if something's about to happen," she was determined, but Erika shook her head again.

"This doesn't concern you, Karin, and I don't want you getting caught in the middle." The expression on her face meant business, so Karin reluctantly agreed and followed Cynthia out of the grassy square.

"What on earth is going on?" Karin demanded, when they were tucked safely into a narrow street.

"Evil," Cynthia's voice trembled. Karin looked down to see the cat rigid with anticipation.

Out in the middle of the square, Erika stood alone. The light from the not-yet-full moon shone on her yellow outfit, making her a bright object in the quiet night. She felt herself shiver even though she was still warm from running. If only whatever-it-was would hurry and show itself. Then, in the quiet, she heard it... barely.

"Sailor girl," came the faint whisper. "You are about to be destroyed." Erika almost brushed the whisper off as just a breeze, but the dread inside her told her otherwise. She swallowed the large lump that had formed in her throat.

"Who are you?" she managed to squeak.

"A silent foe. Fear not, you won't even feel your demise," the breeze teased a loose strand of hair by her face. Erika tensed, glancing around to see where this enemy was hiding. But everything in the square looked normal.

"Show yourself!" she demanded. But all she got in reply was a light chuckle.

"I'm not invisible."

Erika stamped her foot in frustration. "Alright then. QUASAR ILLUMINATION!" Bright light suddenly filled the square, partially blinding Erika for a second, but she scanned the area as best she could. Then back in the bushes and shadows she saw two glowing orbs of green. "There you are," she mumbled to herself. She watched as the glowing orbs moved forward towards her. When the beast stepped into the light, Erika felt herself gasp. The creature walked on all fours and was catlike, except for a ridge of sharp nasty-looking plates jutting up from its back. It was also twice the size of any tiger Erika had ever seen. It lumbered menacingly toward her.

"Cynthia, what's she going to do!" Karin whispered in a half-panic. "She can't fight that thing alone!"

Cynthia looked up at the person standing beside her. "She has to. There's no one else here that can help her."

Karin looked at the cat desperately. "What about you?"

Cynthia shook her head. "I'm afraid not. I can train her, and I teach her, but I can't fight. I'd be killed instantly, and I almost was the other night."

Karin gaped at the cat. "You mean you got swiped at during one fight and now you're chicken! I don't believe this!"

"Karin, this isn't a game!" Cynthia retorted. "It's evil!"

"Oh, so you just send Quasar out there all by herself to battle something that's at least five times her size," she spat back. Cynthia looked hopeless. Karin shook her head. "I don't think so!" she glowered down at the feline. This time when the cat looked back at her though, she gasped in surprise.

"Karin- !" she started. But Karin had already started stalking across the pavement surrounding the square. Knowing she only had seconds at best, Cynthia flipped into the air and caught the small gold ring in her mouth. She bounded out to the determined girl who had just reached the edge of the square. "Karin, listen to me! Take this ring, and say -" but she was cut off as Karin grabbed the ring from between her teeth and slid it on her right middle finger automatically.

"I will NOT let a friend of mine be trashed in an unfair fight!" she shouted.

Erika was entranced by the huge creature. Its eyes were almost hypnotizing. _No. __Don't __look __into __its __eyes,_ Erika warned herself. But she was suddenly very aware of how tired her body was. The light that she had cast in the square was now starting to fade. No. She couldn't let darkness fall again. She brought her hands up into the prayer position and tried to concentrate.

"Quasar Illum... illumin... ill - oh, I'm so tired," she murmured. She felt her hands fall back to her sides. The creature was now very close, and its size very apparent. A small twinge of panic shot through Erika's midsection, but her fatigue was too great for her to care. She dropped to her knees as the creature loomed over her. Then, through her fatigue she heard Karin shouting... something about an unfair fight.

"PULSAR FLASH POWER!"

Erika looked over to see a very irate Karin standing with her hands in a "V" position over her head. Then something on her right hand began to flash very quickly, snapping Erika out of the trance she was in. As she watched, the strobing light engulfed Karin's body, and in one final brilliant burst, Karin was standing with her arms still in the "V" and wearing a Sailor fuku! Erika jumped back to her feet and out of the reach of the huge beast.

"Karin!" she gasped. The large cat-beast turned its attention from Erika to Karin, and snarled.

"I am Sailor Pulsar, guardian of the memories of my people, and protector of my friends and fellow Senshi! I will not stand by and let you have an unfair advantage! With the power of my home star, I'll defeat you!" Karin stood glaring at the monster.

Erika felt her mouth hanging open at the speech and quickly scanned the area for Cynthia. Over on the pavement, she saw the little cat looking confused and happy at the same time. Cynthia then caught her eye and did the best imitation of a shrug that she could. Erika turned her attention back to the creature who was now slowly stalking toward the new warrior.

"Karin, don't look into its eyes!" she shouted. Karin shot a quick glance over to Erika at her warning, and then jumped high into the air, flipped over the beast and landed behind it in a crouch.

"Quasar! Get over here! We've got to defeat this thing!" Karin called. Erika pulled herself together, shook away the last of the fatigue, and sprinted to her new partner.

"Right beside you!" she shouted, as she caught up with Karin.

"Okay, do that light thing again," Karin instructed.

Erika nodded. "Quasar Illumination!" The square was once again filled with light. The beast snarled again as it crouched, looking like it was preparing to pounce. Then it did.  
>Both girls leapt away from where they had been standing, but the beast managed some kind of twist in the air that sent it flying Erika's direction. Erika noticed a split second too late that it was heading toward her, and suddenly found herself pinned face-down beneath a massive body whose weight threatened to crush every bone in her body. Her left arm was wedged awkwardly underneath her.<p>

"Quasar!" Karin screamed, as the beast leaned down over Erika. The light quickly faded from the air, and suddenly Karin knew what to do. She sprinted toward Erika as fast as she could. The beast, sensing her movement, swung its plated tail up toward her face, but Karin ducked, somersaulted, and was back on her feet just as the plates came crashing behind her. She swung around to the front of the beast and focused on its ears. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted.

"Pulsar Ultrasonic Scream!"

Erika looked up to see Karin's tiara jewel pulsating quickly, with her hands spread wide to either side of her. But nothing was happening.

"It didn't work!" she called from beneath the beast, but Karin just shot her a glance that told her to be quiet. Then the beast above her began to writhe in pain, and over on the pavement, Cynthia cried out and covered her ears. Around the neighborhood, dogs began barking. Erika watched as Karin's jewel began to flash faster and faster, and noticed that the weight on top of her was beginning to ease some.

Finally, the beast let out a deafening roar and sat up on its haunches. Erika took the opportunity to scramble to her feet, and just in time as the tail came whipping around to the beasts front paws. Karin back-flipped neatly over the tail and landed beside Erika.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"Yeah, except for my left arm. It's in a lot of pain." Erika held it against her abdomen, trying not to move it.

"We'll get it taken care of. Can you get rid of this thing?"

"Yeah," Erika gasped as she tried to straighten her arm. "I hope it works with just one hand." She pulled her tiara off of her forehead and held it just above her arm, and then mustered up as much strength as she could. Silently, she hoped it was enough.

"Quasar Energy Incinerate!" The purple jewel began to glow a hot white, and then a ball of energy burst from it, incinerating the cat-beast to oblivion.

"See, you idiot! I told you there was more than just one!" Rax growled at his partner, who kept his eyes focused on the space where the youma had been. This was not good.

"We need to speak with Saphrina," Dain replied icily. "This changes everything." An instant later, the space that the two had occupied was filled with a void blacker than the night shadows.

When the energy had faded, and everything was once again normal, Erika turned to her new ally. "Well, Karin," she began.

"Looks like I'm stuck being your coach," Karin grinned.

"Which is fine with me," Erika smiled back. "What did you say your name was? Sailor what?"

Karin looked puzzled for a minute. "Did I? I barely remember."

"You mean Cynthia didn't tell you?"

"Well, no. She just gave me the ring, and I knew what to do from there," she shrugged.

"She's Sailor Pulsar," came a weak voice a few meters away. The girls turned to see Cynthia staggering toward them, looking like she'd just been run over.

"Cynthia, what happened?" Erika gasped, crouching to the ground to comfort the feline.

"I forgot exactly what Sailor Pulsar is capable of," she moaned. Erika looked up at Karin in surprise.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"Oh no, it must have been the Ultrasonic Scream," Karin realized.

"I didn't hear anything," Erika stood up again.

"Neither did I. It's above our hearing range. That's why the dogs started barking. My intent was to hurt the creature's ears, but I guess I was close enough that it got Cynthia pretty good, too. Are you going to be okay?" she asked, turning to look down at the cat.

"As soon as my ears stop ringing," Cynthia shook her head. "Until then, this is going to be one bad headache."

"And what about you? How's your arm?" Karin turned back to Erika.

"I don't know. It might be broken."

"Okay, well let's get you to a doctor, and then we can talk all about this Sailor Pulsar business." Karin glanced down at her outfit. "Hmmm, it looks orange in this light. I guess that's not too bad. By the way, how do we get out of these? I didn't see where my regular clothes went."

Erika chuckled softly, trying not to bounce her arm. "Touch the jewel on your ring."

"But it's under the glove," Karin wiggled her right fingers.

"Doesn't matter, it'll still work."

"Okay," she grasped the small jewel between her left thumb and forefinger. Her outfit flashed briefly, and then she was standing in her regular clothes again. "Well, that was easy enough," she grinned, examining the ring and jewel on her right hand. "Are you going to be able to touch yours?" she asked Erika.

Erika nodded and brought her right hand over to her left. For a brief instant, her outfit broke into two bright ribbons, and then she was standing in her regular clothes. "Much better," she sighed.

"Okay, well let's get out of here," Karin scooped up Cynthia into her arms and the three of them headed out of the square.


	5. Episode 5: A Bad Start

Saphrina swore eloquently as Rax and Dain watched her reaction. They had just finished telling her about the second senshi that had appeared the night before. Afraid for their lives, the two assistants had spent most of the night devising a plan for attacking the senshi before returning. They hoped that presenting a solution would calm the livid woman. But the shack-turned-headquarters shook as Saphrina stalked back and forth, cursing everything from Queen Beryl and the dead generals to her brother Rubius. Rax and Dain stood in the middle of the room, hoping that the fear they were feeling didn't show too much. Saphrina turned to face them.

"Now what!" she seethed, a strand of black hair getting caught in her mouth. "We have two senshi! This was _supposed_ to be easy!" she raged. Dain watched her carefully as she shook her fist at the roof of the shack and shrieked with disgust. Then he cleared his throat softly to catch her attention.

"Saphrina -"

"WHAT!" she screamed. Dain felt his stomach twist, but continued.

"Rax and I have been discussing this all night, and it seems that we haven't ever had the element of surprise during our attempts," he kept his voice steady, hoping she wouldn't turn on him. Chills ran down his back as she stared at him coldly.

"Go on," she said, her voice deadly.

"Well, at both youma attacks, the Sailor Senshi with the braid - Quasar, I think - was already there, ready to fight."

Saphrina considered this for a moment before responding. "So, it looks like we have nothing better to do than follow her around."

Dain stood silent for a minute, slightly confused because that wasn't what he'd been trying to point out. But now that she'd said it, it _did_ look that way. "Well..." he started, but Saphrina held up a hand that told him to stop. Silence hung heavily in the shack for a few minutes as Saphrina considered her own comment. Finally, she broke into a hideous laugh.

"I can't believe we've let the appearance of two girls, _children!_, distract us from our mission here. I knew you'd be good for something, Dain," Saphrina smiled coldly at him. He shivered inwardly. "We need to put everything back into perspective," she began to pace the room again, this time somewhat slower than before. "We need to focus on what our goal is here, and that is to weaken this side of Earth so that Tokyo will fall faster. The presence of two annoying senshi brats shouldn't keep us from succeeding. Now, any suggestions for a new strategy would be helpful..." she trailed off as she eyed her two accomplices.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Erika,<em>

_I'm sorry I haven't been able to write back to you sooner. I've been extremely busy with cram-school and trying to stay ahead in my homework. I've also had to devote a lot of time to "extracurricular" activities lately. :) I hope everything is going well for you._

_Are you keeping up-to-date on the Sailor Senshi? Apparently, they've been very busy here in Tokyo lately. The reporters and tabloids can't get enough of them, and there's rumors that a new evil is trying to take over Tokyo. But that's what the Senshi are here to fight against, right?_

_Talk to you later!_

_Love, Ami_

Erika exited out of her e-mail program, slightly disappointed. Oh well, at least Ami had finally written her back. It was too bad that they weren't able to meet in chat rooms anymore. Ami was constantly busy now-days, and didn't have the time that was required for browsing the internet. But then, Erika couldn't say that she had a lot of time on her hands either. Not with her training and being a Sailor Senshi anyway. She smiled to herself at that thought.

_I wonder __what __Ami __would __think __if __I __told __her __that __I __am __now __a __Sailor __Senshi._ A small laugh escaped her. _She'd __probably __think __I __was __insane._

Erika turned from the computer in her father's den and walked into the living room. Katja should be calling her any minute about their plans for going dancing tonight. Erika had left her a message earlier about bringing Karin along, and hopefully, everything would go smoothly. _I __hope __that __whatever __this __evil __is __will __be __considerate __enough __to __let __me __have __fun._ She rubbed her splinted-and-slung left arm gingerly. The hairline fracture just below her elbow wasn't bad enough to require a cast, but it looked silly hanging in the blue sack-like material that hung over her shoulder. Her mother had practically gone berserk when she and Karin had come back with her arm all bundled like this. But a quick story about tripping on some loose cobblestone had calmed her to a state of mild panic. After that, she, Karin and Cynthia had all gone to her room to talk about Karin's newly-remembered powers...

"Okay, okay, wait. This is all so sudden, let me clarify a few things. _I_ or rather my _soul_ is a princess that lived a thousand years ago... on the moon!" Karin let out a small laugh, and shot an incredulous glance at Erika who chuckled too. The three of them were sitting on the floor in Erika's bedroom discussing Karin's past. "But before that, I lived on a _star!_" Karin rolled her eyes. "I mean, do you have to be an idiot not to realize how ridiculous this sounds, or is it just me?" she snorted.

Cynthia let out one of her exasperated sighs that Erika was getting used to hearing. "Well, if all of this is so impossible, then how do you explain the fact that I can talk? Or the fact that you, Karin, are a sailor senshi? Or that monster that attacked us in the square!" Cynthia's voice grew louder with each question until her voice cracked with a yowl on "square."

Karin stopped mid-laugh and looked at the cat in surprise. She held her expression for a minute and then slumped her shoulders in defeat. "I dunno," she mumbled. It took all the self-control Erika had to keep from bursting out laughing...

Erika smiled to herself at the memory of last night's conversation. It had taken Cynthia a good two hours to convince Karin that she was telling the truth, and that her memories hadn't been "projected" into her mind by Cynthia's mind-touch trick. By the time Karin had decided she believed the cat, it had been late enough that Erika had to sneak her out of the house. Silently, she hoped that Karin still believed everything about her past.

* * *

><p>Karin hauled herself out from under her down comforter and blinked in the bright light of her room. She looked over at the clock and rubbed her eyes a few times before she realized that it did indeed say "12:30." Wonderful. She'd slept half the day away, and it was too late to take a jog. Pushing a damp and matted strand of hair out of her face, she slowly stood up from her bed and stretched hard. Vaguely, she wondered why her mother hadn't come to wake her earlier. Karin <em>never<em> slept this late, even when she wanted to. But last night had been filled with bizarre dreams and long-forgotten voices from her past. Her past. It was true. That talking cat, and all that story telling had been enough to really shake her up. It was going to take some time to get used to all of this. She looked down at the beautiful ring on her right middle finger...

"Karin? Are you up?" a light knock on the door caused Karin to jump. Quickly, she untwisted her pajama bottoms and T-shirt, and then opened the door. Her mother stood looking at her with a worried expression on her face. "Oh, Karin. Are you alright?" Her mother asked as she saw the dark circles under her daughter's eyes, and her damp-from-sweat matted hair. "You look like you had a bad night. Do you feel okay?"

Karin yawned hard and pushed her waist-length dark brown hair out of her face. "Mm hmm," she squeaked. She turned from the doorway and walked over to her window, opening it to let in a fresh breeze. Her mother followed her into the room.

"I let you sleep because I heard you come in so late last night. Where were you for so long?" Karin cringed inside. She really didn't want to deal with this now, but she might as well get it over with.

"I ended up running into a friend from school, and we went to her house. We were talking and lost track of the time. I'm sorry I didn't call," she explained quickly.

"What friend?"

"Erika... um..." Karin thought for a minute, trying to clear the sleepy fog from her brain. "Erika... uh... Fischer. Erika Fischer." Her mother looked confused.

"Have I met her before?"

Karin yawned again. "No. We've only been friends for a short while." _Yeah, __a __whole __day,_ she added to herself. "It was kind of a coincidence that I ran into her outside of school."

"Oh," her mother nodded vaguely, and her eyes began to glaze over like she knew Karin wasn't telling her everything. But before she could pry further, the phone rang. She stood up quickly and patted Karin's shoulder. "Why don't you get showered, and I'll fix you something to eat. Then you can tell me more about Erika, alright?" she smiled and hurried from the room so she wouldn't miss the call.

Karin grimaced to herself as she leaned against the window sill. "Yeah, that's exactly what I want to do," she grumbled.

About 45 minutes later, Karin made her way down the narrow stairway and into the small kitchen. Her hair was still damp from her shower, but she felt - and looked - a lot better. Her mother set a plate of bread, meats and cheeses in front of her and sat down in the chair across from her.

"So, who called?" Karin asked, as she stuffed the first piece of cheese into her mouth.

"Erika, the girl you were telling me about," her mother smiled. Karin raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Really?" she bit into a piece of bread.

"She wanted to know if you were still interested in going dancing tonight with them," her mother's eyes sparkled. Karin could tell she was pleased that her daughter was finally "socializing," and she nodded as she chewed.

"She wants you to call back, and she left her number." Karin finally swallowed her mouthful and glanced at the phone. Sure enough, a sticky-paper with a number scribbled on it was stuck to the receiver.

"Great," Karin smiled back at her mother. "I'll call her as soon as I'm finished eating."

"Good. In the mean time, you can tell me all about her," her mother rested her chin on her folded hands, getting ready for a gossip session. Karin groaned silently to herself, wishing that she could somehow avoid the thorough interrogation she was about to go through.

* * *

><p>Six o'clock finally arrived. Erika and Karin sat on the porch of Erika's house waiting for Katja, Brita and Liesel to arrive. The two of them had been talking about the night before while Erika had pulled all of her hair into a crown braid, and Karin was finally working out some of the questions she'd had. The whole situation was now starting to excite her. She loved a good adventure, and wanted to prove herself to Erika and Cynthia.<p>

"Hey girls! Let's go dancing!" Brita was hanging out the passenger-side window of the approaching car, waving wildly. Erika heard Karin laugh, and turned to see a look of pure amusement on her face.

_Good, __I __want __her __to __have __fun,_ Erika smiled to herself. The car stopped just long enough for the two of them to jump in to the already-crowded back seat. As they squashed themselves along-side the three other girls (Liesel, her younger sister and friend), there was a chorus of "hi"s and quick introductions all around. Liesel introduced her sister Marion and her friend Trina. Marion smiled broadly and blushed when her name was mentioned and Trina waved as she was introduced. Then Erika introduced Karin to the group, who smiled and mentioned that some of them looked familiar. Then Katja set the car-full screaming as she popped the clutch and squealed away from Erika's house. Brita leaned out the window again, her blond hair flapping all around her, and let out a wild "YAAAAHOOOO!" as they headed down the street.

The line outside the dance club was enormously long, even at such an early time in the evening. Brita and Katja were already dancing to the loud beat that was coming from the open doors - the two of them were pretty much in their own world at this point. Erika and Karin were chatting with Liesel, Marion and Trina as they slowly inched their way forward in the line.

"So where do you go to school, then, Trina?" Karin asked the short strawberry-blond girl standing next to Liesel.

"I go to the Hamburg Gymnasium in the middle of town. I was friends with Marion before their family moved out to Gottlieb, and we've just stayed friends ever since," she smiled and giggled. Marion giggled with her. Erika could tell she was a little intimidated by Karin's height and age.

"So, what's you're favorite subject in school?" Karin asked.

"Um," Trina paused for a minute, wracking her brain for her favorite - or easiest - class. "Uh, well, art I guess," she shrugged and giggled again.

"Mine too," Marion giggled with her. "It's the only one that's really easy." More giggles. Erika felt herself getting impatient with all of the giggling that was going on. She wondered if Karin was too.

"Oh, hey! Do you want some gum?" Marion chirped as she dug into her small purse. "It's that fruity kind," she held up a brightly-colored pack to Karin and Erika.

"No thanks," Erika shook her head, and Karin waved her hand in dismissal. "Maybe later." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Karin give her a glance as she turned to face forward. Erika turned around too.

"Fruity is right," Karin mumbled quietly, so that only Erika would hear. Erika snickered softly. "We might want to stay away from the junior crowd if we ever want to get asked to dance."

Erika nodded in agreement. "Liesel is really cool, but I don't know where her sister came from. She's completely opposite of Liesel, and I'm not sure that I like her much."

"How long have you known Liesel?" Karin asked.

"About a year."

"Have you met Miss Fruity-Gum before?"

"Yeah, but I don't remember her acting like that," Erika answered. She turned around as she noticed that the girls behind them had gotten quiet. Marion was holding a small mirror while Trina brushed her hair, and Liesel was looking at the people around them.

"Hey, could I use the brush when you're finished?" Karin asked, smiling sweetly at Trina.

"Sure!" Trina chirped. Then she looked up at Karin's face and saw the obviously-fake smile. Her happy expression vanished. "What?" she asked.

Karin's eyes grew big with surprise and she shook her head. "Nothing," she answered. "I just want to use the brush."

"Okay," Trina looked uncomfortable as she passed the brush to Karin. Liesel watched the two of them and shook her head at Erika.

_Oh, __no. __This __might __not __have __been __a __very __good __idea,_ Erika groaned to herself.


	6. Episode 6: A Night to Remember

Cynthia was curled up tightly on Erika's bed, sound asleep. Her tiny body was exhausted from all of the talking with Karin the night before, and by the time she'd been able to get some decent sleep, her whiskers had been drooping badly. However, it was now 7:00 in the evening, and the day was almost finished. Her dreams during the afternoon hadn't been too pleasant, and even in her sleep she felt that something was about to happen - not like the last few nights - something bigger than that. Something with more evil intent than any of the youma had.

Suddenly, the feeling grew extremely urgent inside Cynthia. Her head shot up and she blinked sleepily in the dusky evening light. She pulled herself to a standing position, stretched hard and jumped down. The fur on one side of her face stuck out wildly from resting it on her paw, but what caught her attention as she passed Erika's full-length mirror was the crescent moon on her forehead - it was glowing slightly.

"What's this?" she mumbled to herself. She shook her head to clear the remaining sleepiness from her eyes and looked again. It was glowing a little brighter now. "I've never seen it do this before," she blinked. She stepped closer to the mirror to inspect what she'd always considered just a guardian birthmark. Sure enough, the tiny golden hairs in the crescent pattern were each letting off a tiny shimmer of golden light. Then an vivid image entered her mind... Erika and Karin were in their Sailor Senshi uniforms, but their skirts were tattered and dirty and both of them were bleeding from various cuts. Erika looked like she was about to collapse from exhaustion.

"Quasar, get yourself out of here before he does it again!" Karin called.

"But we haven't found Marion or Trina!" Erika protested. Cynthia felt her eyes narrow in concern. Erika looked too much like her normal self... why?...

_Where's __her __tiara!_ Cynthia gasped as she finally noticed Erika's bare forehead.

"I'll find them, you go!" Karin ordered. Erika began to leave wherever the two of them were, but the vision carried Cynthia past her two senshi deeper into the room. A faint light was showing in the pure blackness. It glowed bluish-green, but it grew dimmer with each passing second. When the vision finally brought her to the light, it was only glowing enough for Cynthia to see that it was a symbol - the symbol of the Neutron Star! Then the light vanished.

The vision faded and Cynthia found herself sitting in front of the mirror in shock, her mouth hanging wide open. It was all too clear. If she didn't get to the dance club Erika had told her about immediately, then all could be lost.

Cynthia raced out of the house...

* * *

><p>Erika and Karin were both pouting as they leaned against the wall. They'd finally gotten into the dance club, and so far, neither of them had been asked to dance. Katja and Brita were busy hitting on every guy they could see, Liesel had actually found someone as quiet as she was, and Marion and Trina hadn't missed a song since they'd gotten in. Karin pounded her fist against the black-painted wall in frustration.<p>

"Maybe I should have taken a piece of gum from Marion, after all," she scowled. Erika felt her lips twist into a smirk as the two of them watched the younger girls giggle and flirt outrageously with their partners.

"We don't have to just sit here, you know," she glanced up at Karin. "We could just go out and dance. I mean, we don't have to have partners."

Karin looked down at Erika. "I'd feel like such a loser, though," she whined. Erika shrugged. This was probably the most uneventful dancing trip she'd ever been on. Usually, she was out dancing with everyone else. She sighed to herself and glanced up at Karin again. If Karin would just say yes to someone she might actually have a chance at getting asked again. So far, though, she'd turned down anyone that approached her. They were all either _geeks, __losers, __idiots_ or _nerds_. Erika felt her patience starting to run out for about the tenth time.

"Hey, check out that item over there," Karin nudged Erika's elbow, and Erika followed her gaze to the door where two guys were just walking in. The taller of the two had brown hair that was long on top and hung slightly in his eyes. He was dressed all in black. The other one had light green hair, and when he turned to look at his friend, Erika could see it was pulled back into a ponytail. He wore a blue shirt with white racing stripes going down each arm, and baggy tan pants.

"Uh, which one?" Erika asked, hoping her friend wasn't drooling over the short one.

"The tall one," Karin grinned. Erika looked up to see her friend's face lightly blushing. "Oh, he's fine," Karin murmured.

_Great, __if __she __wants __to __hook __up __with __him, __that __probably __means __I'll __get __stuck __with __his __pony-tail __friend_, Erika grimaced to herself. _I __hate __pony-tails._

"Let's go see if they want to dance," Karin grabbed Erika's wrist and started pulling her toward the door, hoping she wouldn't lose sight of the two. Erika followed grudgingly.

Rax and Dain stepped into the dance club and looked around. The floor was filled with people, bright colored lights flashed every direction, and some kind of badly-sweet smelling fog floated through the air. The wild techno beat pounded ruthlessly in Dain's ears.

"Great idea," Dain mumbled to himself. "We won't even be able to hear ourselves think, much less speak."

"Check it out," Rax said loudly beside him. "So many women, so little time," he smirked up at his partner. Dain rolled his eyes in disgust.

"Remember, we are here for a reason, not for women," he replied coldly.

"Maybe you're here for a reason, Mr. Gothic Walker," Rax smirked, indicating Dain's all-black outfit. "But, I'm here to have a good time."

"Won't that sound pleasing when we report back to Saphrina," Dain bit. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rax flinch from his comment, but he didn't respond. Dain smiled slightly to himself because he knew that Rax wouldn't argue when he was reminded of Saphrina.

The two began to walk toward the dance floor when Dain felt a light tap on his left shoulder. He turned around to see two girls - one who was almost his height smiling at him, and another shorter one, who had one arm in a sling and looked nervous.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

Karin felt herself begin to melt at the sound of his voice. It was so deep and just the way it should sound coming from someone as hot as this guy. She hoped she wouldn't make a fool of herself.

"Um, yeah," she laughed and pursed her lips. "I was just wondering if..." she paused, trying to find the courage to ask him. "Well, we were just wondering..." she started again, fidgeting. The man raised her eyebrows at her. She felt her face flush bright red.

Erika, noticing how tongue-tied Karin was just looking at the guy, stepped in. "We were just wondering if the two of you would like to dance with us," she forced a smile, knowing very well who she'd be dancing with.

Dain felt his stomach clench with dismay. He'd hoped that the two of them could do what they came to do and leave, but it didn't look like that was going to be possible. Instead, he smiled lightly at the taller girl and offered his arm to her.

"We'd be honored," he answered.

Karin felt like her heart was about to explode. But she did her best to control herself, and took the guy's arm. She was completely oblivious to Erika or the green-haired friend that looked on in surprise, and let him lead her to the dance floor.

Erika watched Karin for a minute as the two began to walk away, and then turned to the pony-tail man. She tried her hardest to give him a genuine smile, but ended up forcing it onto her face instead. He looked about as uncomfortable as she felt.

"So," she cleared her throat. "Do you have a name?"

The guy looked at her nervously, and then glanced around the room before answering. Erika began to chew on a fingernail.

"Um, yeah," he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Andreas." He pulled one hand out and shoved it toward Erika.

"Erika," Erika replied as she shook his hand. She released it and folded her arm across her sling. "So?" she asked, nodding toward the dance floor. Andreas flushed slightly.

"Uh, well... I'm not feeling too well tonight, so maybe I could sit this one out?" he stammered his way through the excuse.

Erika felt like she'd been punched in the stomach, but she kept her face calm and shrugged. "Sure, nice to meet you, though," she turned and headed back to where she and Karin had been standing just a few minutes before.

_Andreas!_ Rax laughed to himself, as he watched Erika walk away. _Where __did __I __come __up __with __a __name __like __that?_ He turned toward the dance floor and spotted Dain and the girl dancing in the middle of the floor. Dain, for once, looked like he might be having a good time.

"I can't let him have all the fun," Rax mumbled to himself. He walked into the crowd, looking for a possible prospect.

Erika leaned against the wall, furious. So far, this evening had been the worst she'd ever experienced - and she was blaming it all on Karin. First, never being asked to dance, then putting up with Karin's whining, and then being turned down by someone she thought was a loser to begin with! UGH! She fought to hold the tears back that were threatening to fall down her cheeks.

"Hey Erika!" Katja and Brita came bounding toward her. "What's wrong?" Katja asked as she noticed Erika's face.

"Karin," Erika spat. Katja and Brita both glanced back at the dance floor.

"Why, what did she do?" Brita asked.

"EVERYTHING!" Erika shouted into the loud music. Then she explained what had happened with Andreas and his friend. When she finished, Brita and Katja were staring at her with their mouths open.

"What a jerk!" Katja protested about Andreas.

"No kidding," Brita agreed. "I can't believe..." she trailed off shaking her head.

"All in a day's work, I suppose," Erika shrugged bitterly.

"Hey, come dance with us," Katja smiled as she put her arm around Erika's shoulder. "We've only been asked a couple of times, and it would help just to take your mind off of all this."

Erika smiled up at her friends. "Thanks guys," she breathed as the three of them headed off to the floor.

* * *

><p>Cynthia raced through alleyways and narrow streets, searching for the area that the club was in. Her heart pounded hard in her chest from running, but she wouldn't let herself stop. If she did, she might be too late...<p>

* * *

><p>Dain rested his head on top of Karin's. She was leaning against his shoulder during one of the few slow songs. The two of them had been dancing for most of the evening now, and he couldn't quite figure out why he wasn't willing to let her go. For some reason, he felt completely at peace with this girl. But he was running out of time, and he had to find Rax.<p>

Karin smiled to herself as she leaned against his shoulder. She felt him rest his head on top of hers, and killed the urge to cheer out loud. She did find it strange that she felt so comfortable with him since they'd just met, but she tried not to think about it too much - why ruin a good thing with worry? She felt his hand stroke her long hair.

"Karin?" he started. She pulled away and looked up into his eyes, those incredible violet eyes. The small silver ring in his left eyebrow sparkled. "I have to leave," he stated. As much as he didn't want to say that, or have it be true, there was a duty he had to fulfill. Karin looked down at the floor. It had to come at some point. After all, she'd be a fool if she expected the night to last forever just for her. She looked back up at him and smiled.

"Thank you for the wonderful evening, Eric," she blushed a little as she said the name he'd told her, and then glanced down with her eyes, showing off her long lashes. "Maybe I could see you again, sometime?" she asked.

Dain nodded and returned the smile. "I hope so."

Katja, Erika and Brita all watched the scene between Eric and Karin from a rail that separated the low balcony from the main floor.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Brita laughed, mocking Karin's look and fluttering her eyelashes. Erika shook her head in amusement - she'd finally been asked to dance a few times, and was feeling a lot better.

"Pretty interesting scene for someone who couldn't get over how many losers were here a few hours ago," Katja quipped.

"Well, at least we both finally had a good time," Erika smiled. "I can imagine another scenario that would have ended up a lot worse."

"No kidding," Katja snickered.

The group watched as the couple parted, and Eric walked off the dance floor. On his way out, he tapped Andreas on the shoulder, and the two left together. Erika smirked as she saw Andreas tear himself away from a rather well-built blonde girl with hair that wouldn't quit.

_So __that's __what __he __likes,_ she shook her head. _I __knew __I __smelled __a __jerk __from __the __beginning._

"C'mon, let's go get Karin. She looks lost," Brita put her arms around both girls' shoulders and led them down the short staircase.

Karin watched as Eric walked off the dance-floor. Her whole body was tingling from the small kiss he'd planted on her forehead. Just as the crowd swallowed him up, she was practically knocked over by two very anxious girls.

"Karin!" Marion squealed. "Oh my God! That was the most romantic thing I've ever seen!" she was almost jumping up and down.

Karin laughed and put her hands on Marion's shoulders. "Calm down, Marion. You're more excited about it than I am."

"But he's so hot!" Trina exclaimed, looking off in the direction he'd gone, even though she wouldn't be able to see him. "And he kissed you on the forehead!" Both girls pretended to swoon. Karin laughed out loud.

"You two are nuts," she grinned.

"Yeah, well you did look pretty comfortable in his arms," Katja commented. Karin turned around to see her, Brita and Erika all looking rather smug.

"Hey guys," Liesel came walking over to the group, looking tired and happy at the same time.

"Where have you been all night?"

"Well, Karin here has been with Mr. Tall-Dark-n-Handsome all night, and the rest of us have just been hangin' around," Brita grinned as Karin blushed a rather bright shade of red.

"Where have you been, Liesel?" Erika asked. This time it was Liesel's turn to blush.

"Oooooooooooooooooh," the whole group said in unison.

"Wow, two romances in one night," Katja laughed. "Looks like we'll have to come-"

Darkness and silence. Erika's eyes fought to adjust to the sudden change in the atmosphere. The sound of the crowd became a bunch of confused questions. She felt Karin turn beside her and grab her arm.

"What the-?" Katja started, but was cut off by a blood-curdling scream from the front of the room. Karin's grip on Erika's good arm got tighter.

"EVERYONE GET OUT NOW!" someone shouted.

The next thing Erika knew, she and Karin were being pushed hard from behind, as people that had been at the very back of the room began to surge forward.

"Liesel!" she heard Marion call in the blackness.

"I'm here," Liesel called back. "Where are you?"

Karin felt herself start to panic, and she leaned down as best she could toward Erika. "Do you think we should change?" she asked.

Erika looked toward Karin's voice, even though she couldn't see a thing. "I don't know," she replied. "I'm as new to this as you are."

"MARION!" a voice that Karin recognized as Trina's shrieked. It was way back behind them.

"We can't leave her here, Erika!" Karin shouted.

"I know!" Erika snapped, she didn't want her right arm ending up in a splint too. "Let's try to make our way over to the wall," she lunged left, and felt Karin stumble from the change of direction. The two girls pushed through the panicked crowd as fast as they could. Finally, Erika felt her slung elbow knock the wall. Karin threw herself against the wall beside Erika, and the two of them scooted their way along, trying not to get swept up into the panicked and screaming crowd again.

What seemed like an eternity later, Erika felt cool metal brush against her cheek. She moved forward a little farther, and found herself falling into another black, but empty room.

"Oh God, now where are we?" Karin asked, her voice echoing slightly in the room.

"Sounds like the restroom," Erika answered. "Is anyone in here!" she called. There was no answer. "Alright, Karin, let's go find our friends!" she announced.

"QUASAR LIGHT POWER!" The ring on Erika's right hand burst with white light as she punched her hand into the air.

"PULSAR FLASH POWER!" The ring on Karin's uplifted right hand began to flash bright yellow. The two transformations took place simultaneously, and soon both girls were standing in their respective poses, even though the room was pitch black.

Karin/Sailor Pulsar, feeling a little braver, for what it was worth, swung around and opened the door. The noise from the crowd again filled her ears, but it wasn't nearly as loud. "Sounds like a lot of them got out," she said.

"I hope so," Erika/Sailor Quasar answered. "Let's go take a look."

The two of them stepped out from the restroom. The dance club was every bit as black as it had been before.

"Quasar Illumination!" Quasar called. The entire room was suddenly filled with bright white light, leaving the two senshi blinking for a second. It was at this point that Quasar realized her splint was gone, and her left arm felt fine. But she had to leave that thought for later. As she got used to the light, both she and Pulsar noticed hundreds of bodies lying on the floor. Some looked like they were asleep, others looked dead.

"What the hell-?" Pulsar started. She and Quasar both looked at each other, and then back at the scene. One of the people closest to Quasar reached out and grabbed her boot. Quasar jumped in shock and looked down at the person.

"Why do I feel so weak?" she managed to whisper just before she fell unconscious to the floor.

"What is going on!" Quasar called as she looked from the girl to the rest of the people lying on the floor. The room began to grow more and more quiet. "Who did this!" she demanded. A soft low chuckle came from the front of the room. Quasar and Pulsar both looked toward the sound.

"Well, well, it's about time we met face to face," the voice greeted.

"Show yourself, coward!" Pulsar demanded. A slight movement came from the shadows, and a man stepped out wearing a black tank-top, tan baggy pants and black combat boots. His dark hair hung in his eyes. Pulsar felt her stomach flip as she noted every similarity between him and Eric. She desperately prayed that it wasn't him.

"The name is Dain," he announced coldly. Pulsar breathed a sigh of relief. "I am from the Dark Moon of the future. My comrade and I are here to help weaken this side of the world, so that Crystal Tokyo will never come into existence." The man stood with his arms crossed, daring the two senshi to challenge him. Instead, they looked at each other in confusion.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Quasar asked. "Crystal Tokyo?"

Dain raised his eyebrows in surprise. Pulsar thought she saw something glimmer when he did, but decided it was her imagination. "Ah, so the senshi of Hamburg, Germany don't have any contact with the REAL senshi in Tokyo, eh?"

Neither of the girls answered.

"Nevermind, then," he laughed, and waved his hand. Suddenly the room was dark again.

"I don't think so!" Quasar called into the darkness. "I am Sailor Quasar, defender of the center of our galaxy! My home was already destroyed once, and I won't stand by while my new home is in danger. With the light of the galaxy, I'll defeat you!"

"Get ready to die, loser!" Pulsar screamed. "I am Sailor Pulsar, guardian of the memories of my people, and protector of my friends and fellow Senshi! I will not stand by and let you have an unfair advantage! With the power of my home star, I'll defeat you!"

Their speeches were met with laughter, this time from another person. The laughter was followed by the sound of someone clapping.

"Very impressive, ladies," the second voice mocked. "However, you seem to be at a slight disadvantage. You see, we can see you, but I can't imagine that you can see us very well."

"That can be fixed," Quasar growled. "Quasar Illumina-AAAAAHHHHH!" she screamed in pain. Quasar doubled over her left arm, feeling blood gush from just below her elbow - right where she'd been hurt the night before.

"Quasar, are you alright!" Pulsar knelt down beside her. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Quasar gasped. "It was sharp and thick, like glass."

Pulsar stood up slowly and glowered in the direction she'd last seen her enemy. "You will pay for that," she said, her voice deadly. Bringing her hands up to her mouth, she began to call "Pulsar Ultrasonic- whoa!" She stopped just as she felt two ice cold breezes pass beside either ear.

"What'd you do that for!" the second voice demanded at the front, but no answer was given that Pulsar could hear.

Dain spun around and glared at Rax with venom in his eyes. He had caused the ice shards to miss Pulsar's eyes. "Are you really that stupid?" he spat at his partner.

"What!" Rax whispered in surprise.

"You could have killed her!"

Rax failed to see why that was such a big deal. "So?"

"Get out! Get out of here now! I WILL HANDLE THIS BY MYSELF!" Dain ordered Rax in a fit of rage.

"That's exactly what I intend to stop, so I'm not going anywhere!" Pulsar's voice called from the wall. Rax glared questioningly at Dain before he turned and teleported himself out of the club. Dain shook his head in wonder. The kid was so dense that he couldn't even see that this Sailor Pulsar chick was the same girl they'd watched last night, and that he'd danced with tonight - Karin Wallace. There was no way he was going to let her be hurt - not after the way she made him feel earlier. That was a peace he hadn't felt since... his thoughts were interrupted as he heard the two girls start to talk. Silently, he began to drain the crowd of what little energy and strength remained. When he was finished, all of them would be willing slaves to the whims of Wiseman. All of them except Karin.

"Can you stand up?" Pulsar asked her wounded friend. "We need to get you out of here."

"I don't know," Quasar answered. "I'm suddenly so tired."

"NO! Don't fall asleep," Pulsar ordered. "You might be in shock from blood loss, and the last thing you need is to lose consciousness right now. Let's see if we can get you out of here." Pulsar helped her friend stand, and began to move forward. But she tripped over a person lying in front of her. "Quasar, I hate to ask this now, but I really need some light."

"I can't," Quasar choked back a tired sob. "I don't have the strength."

"Damn."

* * *

><p>Cynthia finally reached the dance club. Immediately she could see that everything was how she'd seen it in the vision. This was not good. She rushed in through the slightly open door of the club.<p>

"Quasar! Pulsar! Are you here?" she called out.

"Cynthia?" Quasar mumbled. Pulsar looked up toward the familiar female voice.

"Over here, Cynthia!" she called.

Dain turned just in time to see the small splotched cat dart toward the two senshi. _A __cat?_ he thought to himself. But he concentrated instead on completing his task. He was just about finished.

"You're all right!" Cynthia exclaimed as her eyes adjusted and she saw Sailor Pulsar.

"Yeah, but Quasar's not. We need to get her out of here now," her voice was urgent. Cynthia approached Quasar who was kneeling on the ground again, and placed a paw on her thigh. For a moment, she concentrated, the crescent moon on her forehead beginning to glow again. Gradually, Quasar began to feel some strength return, and she noticed that her arm stopped bleeding.

"Thanks Cynthia," she smiled down at the cat.

"Quasar, just tell me, do you have your tiara?" Cynthia asked, worried.

Quasar reached up to touch it, just to be sure. "Yeah, why?" she asked, as her fingers brushed the oval jewel.

"I'll explain later. Now, you two keep him distracted. There's something I need to find," she explained as she darted off into the darkness.

"And just how does she expect us to do that?" Pulsar wondered out loud.

* * *

><p>Dain continued to extract every last bit of energy from the crowd that he could. Finally, everything was reaching the point where he could finish up and be done with this place. Then maybe he could approach Karin one more time...<p>

* * *

><p>Cynthia bounded toward the back of the room, like she remembered the vision showing her. Quickly, she searched as many people as she could, looking for the glowing bluish-green light. It took her a few minutes, but she finally found something. When she pushed the girl's head so that it faced the ceiling, she could see that it might be too late. The symbol was almost gone.<p>

"Sailor Neutron," she whispered. "Don't give up on me now." She jumped up onto the girl's chest and placed her paws on her chin, then she looked straight at the fading symbol and concentrated with everything she had.

These were the strangest dreams Trina had ever had. She felt herself observing as pictures of a world flashed by, a world that had developed around some kind of star. She saw a queen and king, and several of their children. She saw great buildings and palaces, and millions upon millions of stars. The people of the civilization were friendly and open, greeting strangers like old friends. Then she saw the moon. There, she also saw palaces, gardens and life. People living in harmony, friends that would never die. Then she saw two people she recognized… one had knee length loose hair that flowed around her, the other had waist-length dark brown hair. A third girl had short blue hair, and a fourth girl… she couldn't quite see. But she had chin-length strawberry blonde hair like Trina's own. Then the dream faded to blackness, and she heard herself being called.

"Neutron? Sailor Neutron? Can you hear me?"

Trina struggled to turn her head, but when she did, a massive headache shot through her skull. She decided she didn't want to move.

"Sailor Neutron! We need you! Please, wake up!"

The voice was urgent enough that Trina decided to try and open her eyes. Doing so was an effort, though, because they felt like they had lead weights sitting on top of them. Finally, she blinked them a few times. Wherever she was, it was pitch-black and she couldn't see a thing.

"Where am I?" Trina managed to whisper.

"You're still at the dance club," the female voice explained.

"What dance club?" Trina whispered.

"The one you and your friends came to tonight."

Trina wracked her memory trying to remember exactly what had happened. Vaguely, she remembered dancing, talking with that one girl, the lights going out, and then...  
>"What happened?" she croaked, her voice hoarse.<p>

"I don't know, you'll have to ask the other two."

"Huh?" Trina was now totally confused. She let her eyes drift down to her chest, and realized that something warm was sitting in the middle of it. She gasped in surprise, and began to struggle with her weak body, trying to get up.

"Relax, Sailor Neutron, I'm here to help you," the voice tried to soothe her.

"Sailor? What? Who are you, and why do you keep calling me that?"

"You'll find out soon enough," the voice answered. Trina felt something small and cool being pushed into her right hand. "Now take this and say, 'Neutron Star Power!'"

Trina felt her eyes well up with tears. She was tired, she wanted to rest, and now whatever was talking to her was telling her to say...

"What was that again?" she asked.

"Neutron Star Power," the voice repeated.

"What's a new-tron?" Trina asked, annoyed.

"Nevermind! Just say it!" the voice demanded.

"Fine!" Trina snapped back. "NEUTRON STAR POWER!"

The jewel on the small ring in her hand began to glow bright green - almost white. Trina quickly slipped it on to her right middle finger and pulled it closer to examine it. But a bright flash just about blinded her. The next thing she knew, she was surrounded by a bright green bubble that was closing in on her. She felt fear well up inside of her, but the bubble closed in so fast that she didn't have time to react. Suddenly she was standing in the middle of the dark room with her right arm flexed, and her left knee bent. A cool draft blew by her legs, and for a second she wondered if she was naked. But when she moved, she knew she wasn't - material brushed at the middle of her thighs, and something rubbed below her knees. She panicked.

"What just happened to me!" she cried. "And what am I wearing!"

"Be quiet, Sailor Neutron and pay attention," the voice, which was now coming from the floor, ordered her. "Your fellow senshi are in trouble, and you're the only one who can get us out now, so you need to do exactly as I say." Trina nodded. "There is a man at the front of the room who wants to destroy us all. You need to call out 'Neutron Matter Smash' alright? Is that clear?"

Trina thought about it for a second and nodded again. "Yeah, I think so."

"Good. Do it now!"

* * *

><p>Dain watched with interest from the front of the room. He'd seen the whole transformation of this new girl, but he hadn't been able to get a good look at her. Now she was standing there talking to herself - or at least it looked that way. He chuckled softly to himself as he stood watching her. He'd been done with the energy collection for a few minutes now. How this girl managed to revive herself was a mystery, but so far, she didn't look like much of a threat. In fact, she was quite amusing.<p>

* * *

><p>"Hey... voice! Where's the front of the room?" Trina asked.<p>

"You're facing it, so don't turn. Just shout what I told you."

"Okay, here goes." Trina instinctively clasped her hands together as she began to chant. "Neutron Matter..." She pulled her hands apart, revealing a tiny glowing gray ball between them. With her right hand, she grabbed the ball and brought her arm back. In that split-second, she noticed how heavy the ball was. "SMASH!" she cried as she sent the ball hurling toward whoever was supposed to be there.

* * *

><p>Dain watched as the tiny glowing ball came flying toward him. "Child's play," he smirked to himself. There was no way this tiny thing would be able to hurt him. He stood his ground.<p>

The next thing he knew, he was lying on his back with the wind knocked out of him, and when he finally could inhale, his stomach wretched with pain. He fell into a coughing fit, and curled into a ball, hoping that the pain would go away quickly. But it didn't. Instead, his body began to feel weak all over. The energy that he had collected, including his own, was leaving him. He tried desperately to keep it from seeping away, but he was too weak from the impact of... whatever that had been. But what was more crushing to him was the fact that he'd succeeded, and then failed.

A flash of darkness appeared beside him, and he felt Rax grab him by his shirt. Then the two of them teleported back to headquarters.

* * *

><p>Groans began to come from the people around them. Quasar felt her own strength returning, and stood up.<p>

"Let's see how bad this is," she said. Gingerly, she brought her hands together in front of her chest. "Quasar Illumination!" she called. The dance hall was filled with light again, and she and Pulsar turned to see a third Sailor Senshi standing toward the back of the room. Quasar felt herself smile broadly. "Looks like we have a new business partner."  
>Pulsar looked over at the girl and waved for her to come over. The girl looked around her, and then back at Quasar and Pulsar.<p>

"What's she doing?" Pulsar asked. Quasar shrugged. Finally, the girl jumped as hard as she could toward them. To their amazement, she landed crouched next to them. When she stood up, Pulsar just about died.

"Trina!" she gaped, staring at the fuku-clad girl.

"What?" Trina blinked.

"You're a Sailor Senshi, too?" Quasar grinned.

"Um yeah," Trina hesitated. "Hey, how come you know who I am, but I don't know you?" she finally asked. Quasar and Pulsar both looked at each other and laughed.

"You don't recognize us?" Pulsar asked. Trina shook her head.

"You came dancing with us tonight, remember?" Quasar prompted. Trina shook her head again. "I'm Erika Fischer," Quasar said, pulling off her tiara. "She's Karin Wallace." Pulsar pulled off her tiara too. Trina studied to the two girls closely for a minute, then a smile of recognition spread across her face.

"Oh yeah," she breathed. "Now I recognize you."

The girl that had grabbed Quasar's boot earlier began to stir and groan. Quasar looked at her team-mates.

"We need to call an ambulance, and see if we can get some help for these people," she said hastily.

"I saw a phone by the door, I'll be right back," Pulsar hopped over toward the entrance. Quasar turned back to Trina.

"So, how did you do it?" she asked.

"Do what?"

"Stop that guy, Dain!" Quasar laughed.

"Oh, well I did what that little voice told me to," Trina shrugged.

"Little voice?" Quasar looked confused.

"It was me," Cynthia said from the floor. "I was the one who told her what to do."

Quasar watched as Trina looked down and let her jaw drop open. "That cat's talking!" she exclaimed.

Quasar couldn't help it this time, and burst out laughing. "Looks like it's gonna be another long night, Cynthia," she quipped.


	7. Episode 7: Bad Timing

Trina found herself sitting straight up in bed, her face wet with tears. The clock glowed from the green 2:30 on her nightstand. Her body heaved with a sob, and for a second she couldn't remember why she was crying. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and tried to calm herself down while she retraced the dream she'd just been having. Family, friends, travels, parties... why would these things make her upset? Her eyes wandered around the dark bedroom that she shared with her younger sister and finally rested on the picture of her family. They looked strange.

Trina pulled herself out of bed and realized that the cool night breeze felt wonderful from the open window. She walked over to the picture that sat on the small vanity on the other side of the room and picked it up. Examining it carefully, she realized that nothing was wrong with the picture, but why didn't they -? She stopped mid-thought and caught the picture as it started to slip from her fingers. Wrong family! Her breath started to catch again, and her body threatened to sob out loud. The family she had dreamed about, the one that she had loved so much... was gone! Long dead! There was no way they could have survived the last thousand years! They had been magical, yes, but not immortal.

Trina flung herself back on her bed and sobbed as quietly as she could, hoping that her sister would sleep through it. And the star kingdom - what about it? Had it survived? Cynthia hadn't been able to tell her since she'd been out of touch with the Moon Kingdom for so long. The whole battle with Dain and Rax - well, she'd been unconscious when Rax was there - but afterwards, with the other girls, she'd remembered everything, even without much help from Cynthia.

Forcing herself to breathe deeply and let the breeze blow on her face, Trina sat up again and hugged her knees. The ring on her right middle finger glittered softly, even in the darkness. What she really needed was some time alone...

* * *

><p>Saphrina stomped angrily around the small hut that she, Dain and Rax were using as their rendezvous point on earth. She had just received a severe lecture from Wiseman about the fiasco at the dance club - the one Dain was still recovering from.<p>

"We're supposed to be preparing the earth for conquering, not causing panic in the streets!" he had lectured. Saphrina had never been able to get a word in edge-wise in defense. But, inside she knew that she had failed utterly in the first part of their mission, and three Sailor Senshi had somehow appeared. This was not acceptable. Now they'd have to make up for lost ground, and time, by gaining control of another major point in the city as soon as they could. Her thoughts were interrupted as her foot caught on a loose stone.

"Ugh! This hut is stifling!" Saphrina bit as she kicked the rock out of her way. "This is no place for me to think!" With a flash of darkness, she teleported herself outside into the cool night air. "This is no good either, " she scowled. "I need a new location - one where the stench of Wiseman, Dain and Rax won't follow me!" Throwing her arms up dramatically, she disappeared in another dark flash...

* * *

><p>Trina hugged her jacket close to her body. The night air was refreshing, but after a few minutes, it had started to get chilly. She walked alone through the wealthy upper-class neighborhoods that bordered the lake near the center of the city. Most of the homes here were very old, and the families that lived there had been aristocrats for several centuries. Still, there was a peaceful air about the old tree-lined streets. Iron gates entwined with ivy and stone walls with large trees hanging over the tops were home to several different kinds of insects and animals. The crickets sang loudly as Trina mulled over her former life, and an occasional owl hooted above her. But these things didn't distract her since she was used to hearing them.<p>

A short while later, Trina noticed a pathway between two estates that led down to the lake. Turning, she followed the stone walkway down to the grassy shoreline. The moon was a little less than half-full, and the light it gave off was mostly blocked by the trees above her, but the lake shimmered from the light breeze. Trina sat down, her eyes far away as her mind drifted into the past. Her mind whirled with the newly awakened memories - her former home, her childhood, befriending the Moon Princess, Erika and Karin...

"My life turned out to be a fairy tale after all," she murmured quietly to herself. "Except it didn't have a happy ending." She tucked one side of her short hair behind an ear. "What am I going to do about all this? I don't want to fight! I'm not tough like Erika and... and... what's her name... I'm not like I was back then. Why did it have to be me? Why not Marion, or that crazy girl that was hanging out the car window? I bet they'd be a lot better than me..." she trailed off as tears began to fill her eyes again, making the moon's reflection a large white blur. "Why didn't I just stay with my family?" Trina broke down into sobs again, and hugged her knees to her chest. Maybe if she kept her eyes closed, she'd wake up in the morning to find that this had all been a bad dream.

* * *

><p>Saphrina stepped out of the black nothingness that transported her and her henchmen. In front of her was a lake surrounded by tall, thick trees. This would work. She began to walk around the shoreline at a brisk pace, glad to be unhampered by collapsing walls and loose stones. It felt good to be alone, except for the sight of that awful moon hanging in the sky. Oh well, at least in this time it wasn't a symbol of worship - yet. And if she had anything to say about it, it never would be. A small smile spread across her face. Finally, she was getting the chance to strike a deadly blow at Neo-Queen Serenity and the royal family.<p>

Slowing her pace just a little, Saphrina noticed that she had already circled about half of the lake. Just behind the trees of the far shoreline, she could see lights and a narrow channel leading out to the ocean.

"I ended up in the middle of the city," she smirked to herself. "How appropriate. It might actually be a good time to make up for the mess Rax and Dain made a few hours ago." She combed her fingers through a long strand of black hair that hung over her shoulder. "It's just a matter of where."

She started walking again, relishing the thought that she might be hailed as a savior for Wiseman's plan if - no, when - she managed to pull off something that two people had failed at earlier. But her attention was caught by a muffled sound - something out of place. She slowed to a walk, furious that anyone would be out at this hour. Just a few meters away, she could make out the shape of someone sitting against one of the large trees bordering the lake.

_How __dare __she!_ Saphrina fumed silently. _No __one __is __supposed __to __be __here __but __me!_ She felt all of her dark energy begin to gather inside her, preparing to annihilate the girl. But before her powers could come to their peak, and manifest themselves through her fingertips, the girl stopped her crying and stood. Saphrina watched as she wiped her eyes carefully and zipped up her jacket. Then she turned and walked quietly back along a pathway between the trees, never once looking up in Saphrina's direction. Saphrina felt her fury calm down, and her powers subside.

* * *

><p>Trina walked back toward the street solemnly. She wasn't sure why, but suddenly she had felt like she might be trespassing on someone's property, even though most of the people she knew never cared if anyone went down to the lake through their yard. Still, it had felt like the right time to leave. Her thoughts were still a jumble in her mind, and there was really no use trying to sort through them at this time of night. But the walk and the few moments alone had felt good. Maybe she-<p>

Trina stopped dead in her tracks, and spun around. The pathway behind her was lit from the moonlight reflection, but not enough for her to see well. Why did she suddenly feel like she was being watched? She scanned the forest-like undergrowth around her as best she could, and then turned back around. Maybe this walk hadn't been such a good idea after all. She started to walk toward the street again, this time a little faster. If she had to call for help at 3:30 in the morning, people would automatically be suspicious of her for being out at this time in the first place.

Another premonition of being watched shot through Trina's body again. By now, she was out on the cobble-stone road walking back the way she had come. She stuck to the middle of the road because no one would be able to jump from behind a corner and grab her. That, and her house was just a few houses away. She started to run.

* * *

><p>Cynthia sat straight up, her ears straining to hear whatever it was that had disturbed her. At the top of the bed, her right arm was flopped over her eyes and Erika was snoring softly. Her left arm was resting gingerly at her side, now wrapped in a light cast of gauze from her cut. Before she had gone to sleep, Erika had said that she hoped all of her limbs would be intact when she was through with this senshi business.<p>

Cynthia's ears twitched back and forth, monitoring even the slightest sounds from outside Erika's window. Everything was normal. Then what had awakened her? Confused, Cynthia rested her head on her front paws. There it was again! She sat up again, knowing this time that it wasn't something she'd heard, but something she'd felt. She looked over to Erika - everything seemed fine. Was it Karin? Cynthia cursed silently for not setting up a communications system with the girls already. Now that they'd found Sailor Neutron, it was going to be essential. Like now. Trina! Somehow, Cynthia knew that the newest member of the Starlight Senshi was being threatened. But there was no way to reach her, because she had forgotten to ask where she lived!

* * *

><p>Trina rounded the corner of the gate leading to her house. She was running as fast and as quietly as she could, praying that she would get away from whoever was following her, and hoping that she wouldn't wake up anyone. She ran around the thick grass to the side door that servants had used long ago. She'd left it unlocked when she left so that she could sneak back in, but there wasn't time to be sneaky now. She hoped the rusty hinges wouldn't squeak too loud.<p>

Saphrina watched, amused, as the girl tore into one of the estates. Humans were such an amusing species. Even the slightest little mental twinge sent them into hysterics. She stood across the street, draped in shadow, and surveyed the area. She was hoping that the girl might lead her out of the neighborhood and into the city, but now she would have to find her way. That shouldn't be to hard in mid-air, she grinned to herself. She turned back to look at the estate once more before heading out, but her curiosity was tweaked when she saw a bright flash of light at the side of the house...

"Stupid door!" Trina whispered in a panic. "I should have known it would lock on me! The only other way in is either through my window, or to wake up father." Jogging to the back of the house, Trina scanned the structure for a way up to her window, but the stone and brick were covered with ivy and moss. There was no way she'd make it climbing, but she couldn't stand the thought of waiting for someone to answer the door, or the trouble she'd be in afterwards.

"What can I do?" she whispered frantically. Timidly, she crept back around to the servant's door at the side of the house. She checked the handle again to make sure she was right, and found the handle unwilling to budge. The lock must have some kind of spring, or else was rusted from age. She desperately looked up at the ivy climbing the sides of the structure, and for a split second, noticed how dark-green it was in the moonlight. GREEN! Her ring! She quickly looked down at her right hand, and saw the gem sparkle in the faint light. She had promised Cynthia that she'd only transform in emergencies, but this was an emergency! Trina jumped from the small porch and punched her right hand out.

"Neutron Star Power!" she whispered as loud as she could. The transformation surprised her again, especially the green bubble closing in on her, but it was over too fast for her to think about it. As soon as she felt herself pose, she ran around to the back of the house. Getting a good look at her bedroom window, Trina bent her knees and pushed off the ground as hard as she could. The jump easily brought her to the third-story bedroom window that she shared with her sister. The window was swung inside, just the way she'd left it that night before going to bed, and she was able to catch herself by grabbing the frame on either side, and stepping onto the window seat. Finally! She was safe!

Saphrina hovered up along the wall of the estate. The spot where she'd seen the flash of light come from was empty, but there were faint tracks in the grass leading around to the back. Keeping to the shadows, she followed the tracks to a certain point in the yard, and then stopped. They ended and didn't go any farther. Was it possible that the girl had disappeared? Then a soft clicking noise caught her attention. She looked up to see a dark gray figure turn away from a now-closed window. The tracks in the grass stopped just below it, and Saphrina killed the urge to chuckle out loud as she noticed the thick ivy climbing the house.

_Well, __well,_ she thought to herself. _It __looks __like __someone __is __good __at __sneaking __in __and __out __the __hard __way._ Her smile faded as she brought herself up and over the tops of the trees. _But __now __that __the __entertainment __has __decided __to __retire, __it's __time __for __me __to __get __down __to __business._ Saphrina never looked back at the window, and never saw the soft flash of light as Trina transformed back to her pajamas.

* * *

><p>Erika's eyes flew open. The room was still dark, and the clock next to her bed read 4:00. Cynthia was perched on the window box, her tail twitching back and forth wildly.<p>

"Cynthia, what's wrong?" Erika croaked. The cat looked back at her, her eyes glowing.

"I'm not sure. It felt like one of you was in danger, but the feeling's gone now."

"Oh," Erika blinked, barely comprehending what Cynthia was talking about. "Well, come back to bed then."

"I will, I just need to make sure everything's alright," Cynthia answered.

"Okay," Erika yawned, her eyes closing automatically.

Cynthia turned around to look outside again. The immediate feeling of danger was gone, but now it was replaced by an underlying sense of dread...


	8. Episode 8: Confessions

Ami waited patiently as her computer finished logging onto the internet, and thought about the Senshi meeting that had just broken up less than an hour ago. Usagi and Rei had been at each other's throats - as usual - and she, Makoto, Minako, Luna and Artemis had done their best to come up with a way to prepare for the next Dark Moon attack. Of course, not much had been accomplished before Rei had ordered Usagi and everyone else out of the Hikawa Shrine. Ami sighed and hoped that someday Usagi and Rei would learn how to express their fierce devotion to each other in a more civilized way. Only a few new messages waited in Ami's e-mail, and one of them was from Fischer Erika - er, Erika Fischer. She smiled as she opened up the message and quickly read it...

_Guten Tag, Ami!_

_Thanks for writing me back. I hope your "extracurricular activities" aren't taking up too much of your time. How is cram school going? Are you still at the top of your class? Hope everything is going well! :)_

_I have a strange question for you. Is there any way you could get in touch with Sailormoon or one of the Senshi for me? Some, uh, "developments" have occurred here in Hamburg, and I need them to answer some questions for me. I know Tokyo is a huge city, but you seemed to know a lot about them when we talked in the chat room. I'll understand if you aren't able to reach them, though._

_Talk to you later!_

_-Erika_

"Developments?" Ami thought out loud as she finished the letter. "What could possibly be going on in Hamburg?" She glanced at the clock next to her futon and realized that it was still quite early in the evening. A small pang nagged her as she remembered that she was only four chapters ahead in Physics, and she still had next week's _Kanji_ to memorize... but that could wait a little while.

She opened the bookmark to the Sailormoon chat room and scanned the list of names for anyone familiar. It was 7:00 Sunday evening in Tokyo, which meant that it was... 10:00 in the morning in Germany - late enough for Erika to be up, she would think. Ami finished reading through the list of names, and was slightly disappointed to see that her friend wasn't there. Well, maybe she'd reply to her e-mail.

* * *

><p>Erika pulled her comforter over her head in protest to Cynthia's playful attack. The sun was shining through the eyelet lace curtains on the window, and Cynthia was crouched on Erika's bed, ready to spring at the loose hairs on her pillow.<p>

"Why did it have to be a cat? What's wrong with a guardian goldfish?" Erika moaned sleepily.

"They taste too good," Cynthia purred as she pounced on Erika's half-buried head.

"Oh, Cynthia, go away - I need sleep!" Erika growled.

"And I need food. It's ten in the morning Erika, you've slept half the day away already." Cynthia readied herself for another pounce.

"That's because I spent half the night fighting your battle, remember?"

Cynthia ignored Erika's comment and leapt at her hair again, this time landing square on her covered face.

"Oh, that's it!" Erika cried, tossing the cat off the bed. "I've had it with you! Go eat your lousy breakfast!" She stumbled out of bed and opened her door in time to see her mother with a rather surprised look on her face.

"I see you're up," her mother remarked, as Cynthia raced between Erika's legs and out the door. Erika blinked.

"The dumb cat wouldn't let me sleep anymore," she grumbled.

"Oh. Well, it's probably time for you to be up anyway. How's your arm?"

Erika looked down at the her bandage-wrapped-and-slung arm, and touched it gingerly. "Fine I guess. It doesn't hurt right now."

"Good," her mother grinned. She had no idea about the shallow but nasty cut that had needed to be cleaned and sterilized before Erika could change back to her street clothes the night before. "There's some food on the table still, so help yourself." Her mother gave her a quick hug before walking into the small study at the end of the hall. Erika caught a glimpse of the computer just before turning to go downstairs.

"I wonder if Ami's written back yet," Erika mumbled to herself.

* * *

><p>Carefully balancing the warm cup of coffee in her lap, Erika signed on to the internet and opened her e-mail program. A new message appeared on the screen with the (European) time of 10:07 am - it was from Ami. Erika opened the letter.<p>

_Erika,_

_Hello! I hope you get this message soon because I have someone here that you wanted to talk to. No, it's not Sailormoon, but I don't think you'll be disappointed. Meet me in the chatroom as soon as you can._

_Ami_

Erika felt her stomach flip and her pulse quicken with excitement. "No way," she whispered to herself. She glanced at the clock on the wall - 10:15. "Oh Ami, please still be online." She closed her e-mail program and signed on to the chat room server. Erika didn't have to look for more than a few seconds before a private chat request appeared. Erika immediately accepted it and enlarged the window.

**SlrMrcFan:** Erika! Did you get my message? :)  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> Yes! Good thing too - who's with you?

Erika looked at her screen name and stifled a laugh. That had been the name she'd used the last time she'd chatted with Ami - and at that time, things had still been normal in her life. If she'd only known...

**SlrMrcFan:** Well, you were wondering if I could get in touch with one of the Senshi because some things have happened in Hamburg.  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> Yep! Did you? :)  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> Yes - Sailormercury is here with me right now.

Erika almost jumped out of her chair, but she remembered her coffee just in time.

**SlrErika:** Really?  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> Hi Erika - this is Sailormercury. What's going on in Hamburg?

Ami smiled to herself as she minimized the color pallet for the font. She hoped she could keep up the appearance of two people without too much of a problem.

Erika scowled at the computer screen. Suddenly she'd been struck with doubt about whether Ami had really been able to get in touch with Sailormercury.

**SlrErika:** Wait a minute. How am I supposed to know that you're _really_ Sailormercury?

Ami sat back in her chair, rather perplexed. There really wasn't any way she could prove to Erika that she was who she said she was without compromising her secret.

**SlrMrcFan:** This is Ami - I guess there's really no way for you to know for sure that she's really here, but I hope you trust me enough. I wouldn't trick you about something like this, especially when things are happening where you are.

Erika considered this comment for a moment. Did she trust Ami? Well, she had been very knowledgeable about the Senshi, and seemed genuine in her letters and during chat.  
>"Good lord!" Erika smacked her forehead in disgust. "This is a Japanese honor student I'm talking to, here!" She leaned forward toward the computer again.<p>

**SlrErika:** My apologies Ami. Yes, I trust you.  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> That's alright. It's easy to see why you'd hesitate.  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> So, what's going on there that has you worried, Erika?

Erika proceeded to type out as brief an explanation as she could about the events of the last week - first the be-jeweled monster that had attacked her, then the giant cat thing, and finally the events of the night before with the two men trying to take over the dance club.

**SlrErika:** It's weird because nobody cared about the first two attacks, but the press is all over last night's incident. I'm not sure what to think of all of this.

Ami leaned back in her chair and thought for a minute. _Three __new __senshi __appearing __in __Hamburg, __Germany __just __as __another __faction __from __the __Dark __Moon __begins __to __attack. __The __first __two __incidents __go __unnoticed __and __unreported, __but __the __third __catches __the __press' __attention... __How __does __Erika __know __about __the __first __two?_

**SlrMrcFan:** Erika, can I ask you a personal question?  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> Sure.  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> How do you know about the first two incidents if the press didn't know about them?

The empty coffee cup bounced on the hardwood floor as Erika stared at the screen in shock. How could she possibly answer this without giving herself away? Adrenaline surged through her, and she began to shake as mild panic briefly took over. Should she tell her? She knew that Sailormercury would believe her, but what about Ami?  
>"Cynthia!" Erika called, her voice harsh. "Here kitty kitty!"<p>

**SlrMrcFan:** Erika, are you there?  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> Yes. Just a minute.

Cynthia strolled into the study, tail held high. She was just about to sit down and start bathing when she noticed Erika's face.

"Erika, what's wrong?" she whispered.

"Read this."

Cynthia jumped up into Erika's lap, and read through the typed conversation. "Sailormercury is there?" she asked.

"Yes. What do I do about that last question? Should I tell her?"

Cynthia's turned her head and looked hard at Erika. "That's up to you."

"But Ami is there too. She knows Sailormercury, and -"

"That's a risk you have to decide you want to take," Cynthia interrupted. "If she knows Sailormercury, then she's probably a very trustworthy person, but you know how I feel about you telling anyone."

"Even Sailormercury?"

"Erika, it's up to you." Cynthia jumped down from Erika's lap, but seated herself next to the chair.

Erika stared at the computer screen, not knowing what to do. Finally she felt herself begin to type, and she watched the words appear on the chat screen with the tap of the "Enter" button.

**SlrErika:** Sailormercury and Ami, can I confide in you?  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> Of course.

Erika took a deep breath.

**SlrErika:** I know about those other incidents because I'm Sailorquasar.

Ami felt her mouth drop open. The words sitting on the screen should have alerted her that this was a fan with a problem, and should seek help immediately. But what if the incidents had really happened? What if she was telling the truth? Ami activated her communicator, and waited for Usagi to answer.

"Hi Ami-chan, what's going on?" Usagi answered cheerfully.

"Usagi-chan, is Luna with you?"

"Yes, she's right here."

"I need to talk to her."

No response. Erika felt herself break into a cold sweat and wondered if they were mad at her now. Maybe they didn't believe her. Unconsciously, she played with the ring on her right middle finger and waited anxiously for a reply to appear. Cynthia's tail twitched.

**SlrMrcFan:** Just a minute Erika. We'll be right with you.

Erika started biting her fingernails.

"She says she's a new senshi in Germany?" Luna asked.

"Yes, do you know anything about this?"

"No. I haven't heard anything about new senshi in Europe. But that doesn't mean they don't exist. Have you checked the newswire on the internet?"

"No, I hadn't even thought about it," Ami answered. "Hold on, I'll go look." Ami put the communicator down and minimized the chatroom window. She pulled up her browser and typed in the address for her favorite search engine. Nothing was listed in the news headlines of the search engine's homepage, so she began to search through the European headlines. After only a few attempts, she found a local Hamburg headline:

**„****Drei ****Mädchen ****retten ****Ballsaal"** (Three Girls save Dance Hall)

Ami picked up her communicator. "I think I found something."

* * *

><p>Trina scanned the phone book for "Fischer." She had just gotten off the phone with Marion and had asked for Erika's last name. When Marion had asked why, she'd told her friend that she had a question for Erika. Of course, it hadn't occurred to her to ask for Erika's number.<p>

"Come on, her number has to be here somewhere. I have to tell her what happened last night."

"Tell who that what happened last night?" Trina looked up to see her younger sister standing in the doorway.

"Oh. Uh, I have to tell one of the girls I went dancing with about... this dream I had last night."

Her sister looked at her like she was crazy. "You're weird, Trina," she said as she left.

"You have no idea," Trina mumbled to herself.

* * *

><p><strong>SlrErika:<strong> And then I end up in a pose with my fist in the air and my left hand on my hip.

Ami had finally found proof that Erika was telling the truth about senshi in Hamburg, so now she was trying to get all of the details that she could. She still hadn't told Erika her own secret, but the timing wasn't right just yet.

**SlrMrcFan:** Describe your fuku to me.  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> My what?  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> Your fuku - your senshi uniform.  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> Oh. The body and gloves are yellow, and the skirt, collar, bows and boots are purple. The tiara has a dark purple jewel in it.  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> What do the boots look like?  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> They lace up.

Erika was slightly confused. Why did Sailormercury need to know all of this?

**SlrMrcFan:** Do you have any attacks?  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> You mean tricks? Yes.  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> No. I mean attacks. They seem like tricks, but they cause destruction.  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> Okay. Yes...

Erika and Ami/Sailormercury went on like this for about an hour or so, until Ami was finally satisfied that Erika was telling the truth. By that time, Usagi and Luna had arrived and were watching the conversation intently. Luna, of course, was suspicious, but Usagi was excited.

* * *

><p>Trina slammed the phone down in disgust. The line was still busy. She'd finally called Marion back when she couldn't find Erika's number in the phone book, and had been trying to call for the last hour. Whoever was on the phone sure was taking their own sweet time about things. She needed to talk to Erika! She'd call that other girl instead, but she couldn't remember her name, and she was too embarrassed to call Marion again. Back to waiting...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>SlrErika:<strong> Ami, I have a question for you.

**SlrMrcFan:** Yes?

Erika hesitated for a moment, wondering if the question she was about to ask was too personal. She hoped it wasn't, and curiosity was practically eating her alive. Now that Sailormercury and Ami knew everything about herself as Sailor Quasar, she wanted to do a little knowledge digging for herself. After all, the Senshi should all know each other, shouldn't they?

**SlrErika:** How do you and Sailormercury know each other?

Ami felt her mouth drop open as she read Erika's question on the screen. Automatically, she found herself looking to Luna for advice on how to handle this question. She heard Usagi gasp as she finally caught up with the conversation on the screen, and turned around to face the leader of the Senshi.

"Are you going to tell her, Ami-chan?" Usagi half-whispered.

"I don't know. What do you think, Luna?"

Luna looked to the computer screen, and then back at Ami. "Well, her henshin experience sounds genuine, and the details in her descriptions are very accurate. But there's no way to know if she's really a Senshi or if she's just done her homework well."

"Would there be anything else I could ask her that would prove it?" Ami asked, but before Luna could answer, the computer beeped as a new message line appeared.

**SlrErika:** Sailormercury, Cynthia (my cat who caused all this trouble) says hi.

Ami whipped back around to face the computer, and typed furiously. Behind her, Usagi started to laugh.

"Well, Luna, it looks like you and Artemis aren't the only cats who talk!"

**SlrMrcFan:** Your *cat* says hi?  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> Yes. Don't you have a talking cat too? Cynthia said you do.  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> It's name is Cynthia?  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> Yes...

"What's wrong with the name Cynthia?" Usagi asked, as her laughter faded.

"Nothing, Usagi-chan. It's what the name means," Ami answered, watching Luna.

"So, what does it mean?" Usagi looked from Ami to Luna in confusion, and Luna looked like she'd just seen a ghost.

"Goddess of the moon," Luna whispered.

Erika watched the screen impatiently. What could possibly be taking so long?

Ami broke the stunned silence, "Luna, we have to tell her."

Luna shook her head, trying to get rid of the wave of memories that had rushed to her. Cynthia had been a guardian-cat-in-training when the Moon Kingdom had been attacked. She had almost been finished, and was just about to take on the duties of mentoring two of the courts honored and permanent guests - young princesses who had been orphaned and found their way to Queen Serenity's sanctuary. A third girl had also been visiting at the time, one who had been training as a senshi at home, and Cynthia had befriended her as well. But Cynthia had never had the chance... "Of course we have to tell her. I'm going to need to speak with Cynthia if we are going to defend this planet successfully."

"All right," Ami agreed.

**SlrMrcFan:** Erika, you trust me, right?

Erika looked at the screen in confusion. Now what were they doing?

**SlrErika:** Yes. Are you ever going to answer my question about you and Sailormercury?  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> Yes, right now. The reason I know Sailormercury is because

Ami broke off her comment and hit the enter key. Her hands were shaking and her stomach felt like a lead knot.

**SlrMrcFan:** I am Sailormercury.

Erika felt her jaw drop open, and then her lips twist into a grin.

"YES!" She shouted, jumping out of her chair. "I knew something like that was going on!"

* * *

><p>Trina threw herself onto her bed and pounded her pillow in frustration.<p>

"Whoever is on the phone at Erika's house, GET OFF!" she shouted into the comforter. Her tenth call in the last hour had, yet again, been another busy signal. "Cynthia! Sailor Quasar! I need to talk to you, PLEASE!"

* * *

><p>"Erika!"<p>

Erika jumped at the sound of her name, stopped dancing, and sat back down in the chair. She minimized the chat window and tried to stare intently at the conversation going on in the main chat room. Her mother walked in just before she could actually absorb any of the conversation.

"Erika, it's time to get off the computer. Your father needs to make a phone call, and you need to get dressed," her mother playfully rubbed her head, causing little loose strands of hair to stick out in every direction from the already loose braid.

"Okay mom, I'll be off in just a second," Erika smiled. Her mother turned and walked out of the room, and as soon as she felt safe, Erika opened the private chat window again.

**SlrMrcFan:** Erika, are you alright?  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> Yes, I'm fine. My mother walked into the room and I had to minimize this window. Sorry.  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> That's okay.  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> But I have to go now. My father needs to make some phone calls.

Ami read through Erika's replies, slightly confused that Erika had accepted her secret so easily. Did she not believe her, or was she just nervous now?

**SlrMrcFan:** Erika, do you believe me?  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> Yes. Why shouldn't I?  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> Well, you didn't really say anything after I told you.  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> You weren't here to see what I DID do. :)  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> Oh.  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> So, does this mean I can ask you all kinds of strange questions now?  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> What do you mean by "strange?"  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> Questions about being a senshi, fighting these weird people, and stuff like that.  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> Sure! Just e-mail me.

"Erika!"

"Okay, mom, I'm getting off right now!" Erika called.

**SlrErika:** I really do have to go now.  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> Okay, then I'll talk to you later.  
><strong>SlrErika:<strong> Tschüß! (pronounced "chooss" - a common German way to say "bye!")  
><strong>SlrMrcFan:<strong> Ja ne! :)

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Trina hauled herself off of her bed. She knew if she stayed there any longer, she'd fall asleep - especially after last night's adventure. She needed to get hold of Erika, but this would be the last time she tried. This whole thing was getting ridiculous.<p>

* * *

><p>Ami finished closing all of the chat windows and disconnected her internet connection. Behind her, she heard Luna sigh and Usagi squeal.<p>

"Oooo, we have three more Senshi, Ami-chan! Aren't you excited?"

Ami turned to Usagi. "Yes, but I'm worried too. With what Luna said about Cynthia not being fully trained, and Erika-chan and the other two just starting out, there's a lot that could go wrong. And we're on the other side of the world."

"She's right, Usagi-chan," Luna agreed. "We have no way to help them if they get into a situation they can't get out of."

Usagi set her jaw and looked at the other two in dismay. "I can't believe you two. You have so little faith in these three girls, but we started out the same way, remember?" Luna quietly looked at Ami and then back at Usagi. "It was just you, me, Ami-chan and Rei-chan that defeated both Jadeite and Nephrite. What makes you think these three new Senshi aren't just as capable?"

"Usagi-chan, they're battling the Dark Moon just like we are. We have experience, and it's hard for us. I can't imagine going up against this kind of evil power without knowing what to do," Ami explained.

"And I worry about Cynthia," Luna added. "I don't know if she's ready to be a guardian."

Usagi took a deep breath. She knew they were right, but she felt a certain calm about the whole thing. "Well, we have to let them try. Obviously, we can't be there every time a problem comes up, because of their location. But if worse comes to worst, we can always use the Sailor Teleport to help them."

"Yes, but how will we know when they need us?" Luna asked.

Ami chuckled. "I'm sure Erika-chan will be writing to me very regularly from now on," she smiled.

Usagi smiled in return. "See Luna? Everything's going to work out fine."

"I hope so," Luna sighed. "We need all of the help we can get right now."

* * *

><p><span>Episode <span>8 Factoids

little things you wanted to know but were afraid to ask ^_^

"Guten Tag" (in Erika's e-mail to Ami) is pronounced "goo' ten tahg" not "guttin' tag."

The funny looking "B" in the word Tschüß actually stands for "ss" (double S). Germans adopted this because they combine words to describe new objects - so some words could have four "s"s in a row. "ß" isn't always used in place of "ss" though.


	9. Episode 9: Confrontation

"Erika, telephone!"

"Okay, I'll be right there!" Erika called from the bathroom. She was rubbing her towel over her wet hair, and trying to get as much extra water out of it as she could. It was long enough that it could take hours to dry if she didn't help it along a little. But the phone was waiting. Grabbing a comb, she rushed out to the hallway to pick up the phone there.

"Hello?"

"Erika, finally!" came the unfamiliar voice from the other end. "I've been trying to get hold of you for the last hour and a half."

"Who is this?" Erika asked, perplexed.

"Oh sorry. This is Trina - you know, from last night?"

"Oh yeah. How's everything going?"

"Okay, I guess. Um, I have something to tell you." Trina sounded anxious.

"What is it?"

"Well, it has to do with everything that happened last night."

Erika was quiet for a minute, trying to figure out what Trina meant by that. Did she mean the Dance Club or her new-found memories? "Okay... is it about the Dance club or the other stuff?"

"The other stuff."

"Well, maybe you should come over then. Do you live very far from here?"

"I live in the lake district."

_Oh __lord,_ Erika groaned to herself. _It's __going __to __take __her __forever __to __get __here._ "Okay, do you ride the U-bahn very often?" (U-bahn = subway)

"Sometimes."

"Okay, grab a pencil, 'cause I'm going to give you directions..."

* * *

><p>Two hours and several phone calls later, Trina knocked on Erika's front door. A tall girl answered the door - the girl that Trina recognized as the other Sailor person.<p>

"Hi Trina. Nice to see you made it," Karin grinned as Trina slipped her shoes off.

"Hey," Trina grinned in return. "I'm glad I'm alive."

"Come on in, Trina," Erika called from the front room.

Karin and Trina made their way into the small front room, and sat down on the sofa. Erika was already sitting in the arm-chair, looking over some small necklaces and earrings that were sitting on the coffee table. Cynthia was perched on one of the chair's arms. Trina leaned over to get a good look at the jewelry, and noticed that each set had little stones the same color as each of their rings.

"What's all this?" she asked.

"That will be explained in a minute," Cynthia answered. Trina looked up in surprise as she heard the cat speak.

"Sorry, I forgot how much you sounded... well, human."

A look of dismay crossed Cynthia's whiskered face. "Oh."

Trina paused awkwardly for a minute, trying to think of how she could recover. "Um, isn't someone going to hear you? I mean, maybe we should, like, find a hideout or something."

Erika allowed herself a small laugh. "No, we're the only one's here. My parents are out running errands, and my brother is... somewhere with his friends."

"Oh." Another awkward pause as Trina looked from Erika to Karin, and back to Cynthia.

"Well, what did you need to tell us that was so urgent?" Cynthia prompted.

Trina leaned forward and let her eyes grow wide. "Oh my god, I had the strangest experience last night."

Erika glanced at Karin, who rolled her eyes. "Stranger than the Dance Club?"

"Yeah. I, like, woke up in the middle of the night crying, and I couldn't figure out why until I saw the picture of my family, and I realized that they weren't the family that I'd been dreaming about, so I decided to go outside for a walk..."

Erika and Cynthia listened intently to Trina's story, while Karin leaned back into the couch and closed her eyes. She yawned largely a few times, even though she found the story interesting. But the way Trina was telling it was enough to bother even the most obnoxious gossip in town. The words "like," "totally," and "ohmigod" were peppered everywhere in the story.

"...and then I closed the window and transformed back to my pajamas. I looked outside again to see if anything was there, but I still couldn't tell. And that's what happened."

Silence fell in the room for a few precious moments, and Karin savored it.

"This kind of incident is precisely why I decided to have all of you come over," Cynthia began. "Some kind of communication between the three of you is going to be essential from here on out. When someone runs into trouble, she'll need a way to contact the other two. So here's what I've come up with." Cynthia jumped down from her perch and strutted back and forth in front of the table as she explained.

"These are the devices we will be using for communication. Each piece in each set operates differently, so listen carefully." The three girls unconsciously leaned forward. "Notice the set of earrings - one earring has two stones stacked on top of each other, the other has just one. Oh wait. You all have your ears pierced, right?" The small cat looked at each girl separately, and each nodded. "Okay. The earring with two stones is your contact and listening device. When you want to contact anyone, gently press the bottom stone. This will send a signal to the other two and me. The top stone is where the sound originates. Don't worry about other people being able to hear the conversation, because they can't. Only you will be able to hear it. The other earring is for decoration, if you want it. Of course, it's up to you how you wear them, and on which ears. The necklace is... well, your microphone basically. Since it's short and close to your throat, it will easily pick up your voice. However, be careful about where you are and who you're around when you want to talk to someone. Otherwise, it will look like your talking to yourself, and that might cause problems."

_Maybe __for __Erika __and __me, __but __I __doubt __anyone __would __notice __with __Trina,_ Karin thought to herself, a small grin crossing her face.

Erika reached down and touched one of the earrings on the table. "I'm assuming that the dark purple stones are mine since they match my ring."

"That's right," Cynthia answered, jumping on to the table. "Each of you take your set and put them on. I don't know yet if they're going to work, so let's try them out."

The girls each picked up their respective sets and put them on. Karin tucked her necklace beneath her T-shirt, and Erika fiddled with her earrings trying to figure out which ear she'd rather listen with. Trina inspected her necklace before finally fastening it around her neck. Cynthia jumped down from the table and performed one last backflip, causing a strap with an 8-point star on it to fall to the floor.

"I hope that's the last time I have to do that today. I'm getting nauseous," she groaned.

"What is that, Cynthia?" Karin asked.

"It's my collar. It's part of the communication setup, and it's my way of listening and talking to you." Cynthia picked up the collar with her mouth and jumped into Erika's lap."Erika, if you wouldn't mind."

"Sure." Erika fastened the collar around Cynthia's small furry neck.

"Does everyone have everything on?" The girls nodded. "Okay, Erika let's start with you..."

* * *

><p>"Dain! Dain, get up!"<p>

Dain felt himself gradually waking up, but the voice hovering over him was giving him a splitting headache. "What do you want, Rax?" he moaned. His stomach still felt like a boulder had smashed into it, and he didn't want to move.

"Saphrina's gone," Rax's voice was urgent.

"So?" Did Rax really think that he cared?

"She's been gone since we came back last night."

Dain's eyes flew open. "What? Where did she go?"

"Oh, let me consult my crystal ball," Rax growled.

Silently, Dain hoped that Wiseman hadn't decided to listen in. "Shut up, you idiot. Did she say anything to you the last time you saw her?" Rax said nothing and just stared down at his injured partner. "Well?"

"I'm supposed to shut up, remember?"

Anger exploded in Dain, and he sat bolt upright, ignoring the pain in his bruised abdomen. The black that swirled in front of his eyes kept him from leaping at Rax's throat, though. "Did she say anything to you!" he demanded.

Rax folded his arms across his chest and started walking away slowly. "No," he spat, as he turned to face his supposed partner.

"Well, did you check any of her mirrors?"

"Mirrors?"

Dain was ready to strangle the green-haired fool standing merely a few feet away. "The mirrors in her quarters."

Rax raised his eyebrows at Dain in a mock-questioning look. "And exactly how would you know about them?"

Dain stood up as slowly as he could without looking weak, and strode out of his quarters. "Nevermind, I'll find out for myself..."

* * *

><p>"Pulsar, Neutron, can you hear me?" Karin glanced around the wooded area she was in near the lake, making sure no one was around her. The group had decided to check out the lake and the area where Trina had felt like she was being followed. They hadn't changed into their Senshi uniforms yet, but had agreed to use their Senshi names while they were inspecting.<p>

"Loud and clear," Trina's voice announced.

"What's up, Quasar?" Karin answered.

"I'm coming around the tip of the bay just up from Trina. But I haven't seen anything unusual."

"Neither have I," Trina whined. "It makes me feel stupid that I dragged you guys over here and there's nothing to see."

"You don't know that, Neutron," Karin answered. Across the small bay, she could see Trina pacing back and forth on the narrow beach. She'd been assigned to searching the pathway area that lead back to the street.

"Well girls, we've been here for an hour, and I haven't seen anything, or felt anything unusual," Erika sighed. "What do you think Cynthia?"

Before Cynthia could answer over the small device, Karin was distracted by a light tap on her shoulder. Startled, she turned around and assumed a defensive pose with her fists in front of her. She found herself staring straight into a navy blue T-shirt, and soft laughter coming from above. Surprised again, she looked up to see a very familiar face looking down at her. A small silver ring sparkled in his left eyebrow.

"Eric?" she gasped, letting her fists drop to her sides.

"Hi Karin," Dain smiled, glad that she'd reminded him of the name he'd used the night before.

"What are you doing here?" her heart was pounding furiously, but at the same time she was confused by his presence.

"Watching you."

A chill ran down Karin's spine at his response, and suddenly she found herself very nervous. "Oh. Do you live around here?"

Dain looked around at the lake and trees surrounding it. "Yeah," he shrugged.

Karin felt like bolting, but decided that probably wouldn't be the smartest thing to do since he might easily outrun her. Too bad she couldn't transform.

"Who were you talking to?" he asked.

"Huh?" Karin felt dread drop into her stomach.

"You said something just a second ago."

"Oh, just myself," she laughed lightly. "I was just saying how beautiful the evening was." She paused awkwardly for a minute, and noticed that the communicator had gone silent.

Erika walked casually back to where Trina was waiting. The conversation between Karin and Eric was being broadcast clearly, and she could easily tell that Karin was nervous. Karin would have to reach up and touch her earring to cut the broadcast, but so far she hadn't. A little ways in front of her, Trina strolled out onto the beach and seated herself against a tree. Erika was glad she hadn't started to panic or say anything - yet.

"Karin, if you can do it discreetly, cut off your communicator," Cynthia's voice instructed. Erika scanned the nearby trees to see which one the feline was in. A small white and tan blob among the green was perched near Trina, staring intently across the bay.

Karin shifted her weight back and forth, trying desperately to think of something to say. But with Eric hovering over her, she found that she couldn't collect her thoughts. Mentally, she scolded herself for being so infatuated with a stranger.

"So, I assume you live around here too?" Eric/Dain broke the silence.

"Yes... I-I mean, no," Karin laughed nervously. "I have a friend who lives over here, and I'm visiting."

"Karin, if you can do it discreetly, cut off your communicator," her earring instructed. She reached up.

"Oh, well, where's your friend?"

Karin pressed the earring lightly, and then turned to look across the bay. "Over there," she pointed, noticing that both Erika and Trina were over there now. "Uh, both of them."

Trina and Erika watched Karin point in they're direction across the bay, but they couldn't hear anything she was saying.

"Good, it's off," Cynthia breathed.

"How can we still hear you, Cynthia?" Trina asked.

"Because ours are still on." Leaves rustling and a scratching noise made both girls look up to see the cat scrambling down from her perch. "It's a good thing you haven't followed through with your threats to declaw me," Cynthia stated arrogantly.

Erika shot her a nasty glance. "Funny," she sneered, suddenly very aware of her latest scratch on her ankle.

"Um, guys, there's something very wrong here," Trina announced quietly. Erika and Cynthia both turned to look at her. "That same feeling I had last night is back, but its not as strong."

"When did this start Trina?" Cynthia asked.

"Just a minute ago, when Karin started talking to that guy."

Erika sat down next to Trina, trying to look casual, and studied the scene occurring across the bay. After a few minutes of watching, something dawned on her. "Oh no," she groaned.

"What? What is it?" Trina asked.

"That's the same guy that was terrorizing the dance club last night."

Cynthia walked over and sat down between the two girls. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"But I thought that was the guy she was dancing with last night," Trina puzzled.

Erika felt something cold and hollow shoot through her chest - fear. "If it is, then Karin's in big trouble."

* * *

><p>Rax watched the scene between Dain and the girl he'd danced with last night in silence. He had followed him through one of the mirrors set up in Saphrina's quarters, the mirror that somehow reflected this lake, and found himself standing in a wooded area. Dain and the girl were talking, although the girl wasn't at all comfortable, and Rax found himself getting queasy from the scene. The girl was falling all over herself in front of his jerk partner.<p>

* * *

><p>"Well, Eric, I hate to do this, but I really have to go. We're supposed to, um, be watching my friend's little sister. Sorry." Karin folded her arms in front of her chest, and gazed up into Eric's face. His eyes were the coolest color she'd ever seen, but so far, he'd seemed really creepy tonight.<p>

"That's alright," Dain replied, reaching out and brushing a long strand of hair away from her face. Karin's face drained of color. "What's wrong?" he asked, surprised by her reaction.

"Nothing," she shook her head, and plastered an innocent look on her face. "Why?"

"Because you just got very pale."

"Oh, did I?" Karin swallowed hard. She tried to smile.

"Are you nervous?"

"No," Karin shook her head quickly. "I don't think so, anyway."

Dain studied her face for a minute. "Yes you are. What's wrong?"

This was getting to be too much for Karin. She wanted to run as fast and as far away from him as she could, but something kept her from doing it. "Nothing. Really."

Dain took a step back, watching every little detail of her face. "Is it me?"

"Eric, what are you talking about?" Karin protested. "I'm fine! Really, I am." Unconsciously, she reached up and started playing with her earring, and activated her communicator.

Erika, Cynthia and Trina all looked at each other as the sounds from the scene began to broadcast again. Clearly Karin was uncomfortable, and Erika finally felt like her suspicions were confirmed. She reached up and covered her necklace.

"That's him. That's the same voice that threatened us last night," she whispered to the other two. "I can't believe Karin doesn't recognize it."

Cynthia nodded. "Maybe you two should get ready to help in case she needs it."

Erika glanced over at Trina who nodded the affirmative. She stood up, brushed off her shorts, and started walking toward the pathway in the woods. Trina and Cynthia followed.

Across the bay, Dain noticed the two girls stand up and walk back into the forested area. "Looks like your friends are going home," he nodded in their direction.

Karin looked over to see them walking away, and suddenly felt very hopeless. Mentally she prayed that it was only a temporary thing. "Yeah, see? I have to go, too. I'll talk to you later." She started to turn and walk back toward them, but before she could go very far, Eric was beside her, holding on to her shoulder.

"Karin, don't go yet. I have something to tell you."

The tone of Eric's voice was enough to stop her dead in her tracks. She turned. "What?" But before she could realize what was going on, he'd grabbed her and pushed her to the ground, and fell beside her. "Eric, what are you doing!" Karin began to panic.

"Saving your life again," he snarled. "Get up and run, NOW!"

Karin stood up and started sprinting toward the tip of the bay, Eric close on her heels. After only a few seconds, something large crashed to the ground behind them. She turned her head just long enough to see one of the huge trees that surrounded the lake settle in the spot where she'd just been standing. Adrenaline surged through her, and she started running even faster.

"How did he know that was coming!" Trina-as-Sailor Neutron protested. "I didn't say it very loud!" Her Neutron Matter Smash had caused the tree to fall over, since the impact of it had disintegrated the lower part of the trunk.

"He saved Karin's life," Sailor Quasar gaped as she watched the two sprint down the beach. "He pushed her away from Neutron's attack and told her to run."

"Are you sure he's the same guy as last night?" Cynthia asked.

"Absolutely. There's no doubt in my mind," Quasar defended herself. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have known Neutron's attack was coming."

Karin came running around the last stretch of the beach before she'd reach Erika and Trina, and Eric was close beside her. In one tiny moment of revelation, she noticed that he wasn't breathing hard at all, but fear for herself and her friends kept that thought pushed to the back of her mind. She slowed to a stop and looked around for her friends, worried.

"They're not here. I hope that's a good sign," she panted.

Seeing that Karin wasn't scared of him anymore, Dain stormed toward the trees and the pathway leading out and began to yell. "Sailor Senshi, get out here! How can you possibly say that you fight for love and justice when you just about killed one of your own!"

"Love and justice?" Neutron was utterly confused. "I've never said that."

"Neither have I," Quasar looked hard at Neutron. "But Sailormoon does, and she's our leader."

"She is? She does? Who's Sailormoon?" Neutron looked completely surprised.

Quasar rolled her eyes. "I'll explain later. Right now we need to concentrate on helping Karin. Let's go."

Karin walked slowly around in a circle, trying to keep her breathing regular, and her panic under control. What did he mean when he'd said he was saving her life again? "Eric, what's going on?" she asked sincerely.

"My name is not Eric, and you know perfectly well what's going on, Sailor Pulsar," he snapped at her.

Karin stopped dead in her tracks and stared at him. How on earth would Eric know that she was a Senshi! That's when it hit her. "You," she breathed. "You're the same guy that was trying to kill everyone at the dance club." His voice, his figure, everything snapped into place.

"Dance club, yes. Killing everyone, no."

"Well then, what _exactly_ were you doing?" Karin demanded.

Quasar and Neutron stepped out of the trees and into the quickly-fading evening light, but didn't say anything. Cynthia watched from up high in one of the trees.

"I was collecting energy for Wiseman of the Dark Moon kingdom."

"Oh, okay. You were collecting energy," Karin nodded in mock-agreement. "And what did you think it would do! Leave everyone in a peaceful deep sleep? Good lord! That is SO naïve!" she shouted at him.

Dain was shocked by Karin's outburst. The only person that dared speak to him that way was Saphrina, and she was his superior. This girl was supposed to be his enemy. "I was following through with my orders," his reply was ice.

Karin shook her head. "I don't think so, friend," she spat. "Where you come from, that excuse may work just fine. But here in Germany, far too much has happened because someone was 'just following orders!' Try again!"

Dain's temper was flaring to the breaking point. If he didn't do something or find some kind of outlet soon, he just may end up killing this girl - beautiful or not. "Rax, get over here!" he shouted, knowing full-well that the imbecile was still hiding in the bushes on the other side.

* * *

><p>Rax watched the scene across the bay unfold with interest. This was the first time he'd seen Dain unable to control the situation - Karin was obviously doing all the talking here. But when he heard his name called, he soured.<p>

"No way. You're on your own in this mess, Dain. I've had enough of you ordering me around." With a dark flash, Rax was gone.

* * *

><p>Furious at his "partner's" desertion, Dain turned and unleashed a wave of dark energy toward the grove where Rax had been hiding. The entire section of trees that had Karin had been walking through earlier was now gone, with nothing but charred ground to show where they had been. Seeing this display, Karin stepped back from Dain and looked over to Quasar and Neutron.<p>

"Karin, since he already knows who you are, you might as well transform," Cynthia's voice came through her earring.

"Don't bother," Dain bit as he turned back to face her.

"You can hear that?" Karin gasped.

"Of course I can hear the cat. She's right above me."

Karin allowed herself to feel a little bit of comfort since he didn't know about the earrings, but now Cynthia was in danger.

"But I'm not sticking around here. I have a score to settle with Rax." Dain walked over to Karin, watching her intently. He lifted her chin with his finger, and for the first time Karin noticed just how cold his hands were. She looked directly into his violet eyes, which, this time, shone with cold fury. "Just remember, though, you approached me first." He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, and then was gone.

Karin stood there in shock for a minute, and then slowly turned to face the other two, her cheek still burning from the cold of his kiss, and started to walk toward them. She made it two steps before her legs gave out and she fell to her hands and knees. Quasar and Neutron rushed toward her.

"Oh my god, Karin, are you alright?" Quasar knelt on the ground next to her friend. Neutron stood over them, looking around the bay to see if anyone else was near. Nearby, Cynthia scrambled down from her watch.

Karin began to sob, glad that her friends hadn't been hurt, but at the same time scared to death of what might happen to her now. "Yeah, I think so," she answered. "But we're in big trouble now. There's no telling what he's going to do next."

Cynthia walked up to the despondent girl and placed her small paw on her knee. "It's alright Karin. It's not your fault. They would be here just the same, even if you hadn't danced with him last night."

"I know, but now things are worse," she choked.

"We'll just have to deal with it one day at a time," Cynthia tried to sound soothing. "Maybe now that he knows who you are and what you're like, things will be that much harder for him. After all, he didn't unleash his anger on you, and he saved your life."

"He saved my life _again_," Karin half-whispered.

"What do you mean again?" Quasar asked.

"I don't know. I just remember that he said he was saving my life again," she wiped tears from her eyes and sniffed. "But I don't remember him saving it before."

"Well, it doesn't matter now. Let's just get you home," Cynthia replied.


	10. Episode 10: Seeds of Betrayal

Karin leaned her head against the wall of the classroom, and tried not to sigh out loud. She was bored out of her mind listening to the lecture in her history class. Ever since Saturday night's dance club incident, and then Sunday's brush with death and Dain, she'd been high strung and ready for action. But history class on a Tuesday afternoon was the place least likely for that. Stifling a yawn, she glanced down at her notes - nothing new there. The usual dates, names and incident titles were scrawled in restless handwriting, and in the margins were various doodles and drawings. She could swear that the second-hand on the clock had slowed down... and there was still one more class before she would be finished. Up at the front of the class, the teacher turned around to write something on the board, and Karin felt a light kick on her chair.

"Karin," the girl behind her whispered quietly. Karin turned around. "Kurt asked me to give this to you." The girl held out a small note, neatly folded.

Karin took it, nodded her thanks, and turned back around. The teacher was still writing on the board, so she unfolded the piece of paper as quietly as she could. She slid it to one side of her desk where it would hopefully be hidden by the student in front of her, and read the short message:

_Karin,_

_We need to talk. I need to see you. Meet me at Blumenplatz._

_Dain_

Startled by the name, Karin turned around and glared in Kurt's direction. The boy was sitting at his seat, paying strict attention to the lecture. He hadn't noticed Karin's reaction at all... but the teacher had.

"Frau Wallace," she insisted. "Is something wrong?"

"No, Frau Heigen," Karin answered.

"Then please pay attention to the lecture."

Karin nodded.

Not far away, Erika was also struggling in class. Her book was open in front of her, and a few quick notes were scrawled in her notebook, but in the silence of the classroom her eyes were starting to droop. Her teacher had decided to let the class read instead of lecturing. Erika glanced around the room to see if anyone else was struggling the way she was. She yawned hard while her head was turned, and gave herself a crick in her neck.

_Oh __great. __Just __what __I __need,_ she scowled to herself. _One __more __pain __to __add __to __the __already __growing __list._ She massaged the left side of her neck as well as she could with her right arm, since her left arm was still in the sling - and would be for about two more days. The cut on that arm was still rather nasty too, but it was finally starting to heal. _If __things __would __just __stay __calm __for __these __next __two __days, __I'll __be __fine._ She grimaced to herself and sighed as she leaned toward her book again, _Yeah __right. __Like __that'll __happen __- __especially __with __Dain __chasing __after __Karin..._

* * *

><p>Saphrina smiled darkly to herself as she watched the now-former building owner drive away. The long-deserted shophouse was now officially hers. She had spent the last few days searching for the perfect place to set herself up in the city, and now she had it. There was no point in telling the two fools, Dain and Rax, since they had already screwed up three times in the first week. No, she would take care of everything by herself.

She turned and entered the rickety structure that was barely supported by the other buildings next to it. It had been pitched to her as a "fixer-upper" - a term she assumed meant that she was supposed to remodel the place. But what had attracted her to the site more than anything was the neighborhood. It was a shady area of town - one that most people avoided because of the crime and other illegal activities that were commonplace. No one would notice her or the strange activities that would most likely occur here, and it was very likely that no one would care.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Karin. How's it going?" Erika smiled up at the taller senshi. The school day was finally over, and the two girls had met so that they could go running. Erika hadn't been since the night she'd cracked her elbow, and Karin had found out she was Sailor Pulsar. But her arm was finally starting to feel better.<p>

"Fine, I guess," Karin replied, looking rather uncomfortable.

"Is something wrong?" Erika asked.

Instead of answering, Karin sighed and dug into her bag, pulling out a small note. She handed it to Erika.

"Blumenplatz?" Erika queried. "Where's that?"

"It's the square where you and I... met the other night."

"Oh, you mean the one where we fought..." Erika trailed off as Karin nodded in agreement. "What do you think he wants?"

"I wish I knew," Karin grimaced, stuffing the note back into her bag. "Now that I know about him, though, I don't want to go. I still think he's good-looking, but when you find out the truth about someone, it's easy to change your opinion."

Erika shrugged, not knowing what to say. "Um..." she started, then cleared her throat in an effort to stall. "Well, have you figured out what he meant about saving your life twice?"

"No. I wonder if both times were on Sunday - he pushed me down so I wouldn't be hit by Trina's attack, and then he told me to run so I wouldn't get hit by the tree. Maybe he meant that," Karin shook her head, confused.

"Are you going to go see him?"

"I haven't decided yet," she answered in a tone that obviously meant "no."

"Karin, maybe you should," Erika tried to force a smile, and failed.

"What for? The guy's an enemy! He wants to kill us!" Karin protested.

"Yeah, which is why he saved your life."

Karin glared down at Erika as she waited for her to tie her shoes. "What exactly are you saying, Erika?"

Erika sat up and looked at her friend. "Well, you saw what he did to that small grove when he got mad - there was nothing left! Besides, if he hasn't hurt you by now, and he's had plenty of chances, then maybe he won't."

"Oh, okay. How about _you_ go see him instead?" Karin sneered.

"No thanks. I don't want him to disintegrate your house if you don't show."

"Good point," Karin mumbled, reluctantly.

"If you want, Trina and I could go with you. We'll all transform so that if anything happens, we won't be totally helpless."

Karin nodded. "Yeah, that would be a good idea. I'd really rather not show up there alone."

"I don't blame you," Erika agreed.

* * *

><p>Trina chewed on an apple as she flipped through the pages of an Ancient Mythology book. She wasn't reading anything in particular, but the pictures of the ancient drawings were fairly interesting. Her interest in mythology had been rekindled the other night when her memories had been restored, and she wanted to know if there were any myths about the moon. So far, though, all she'd found were legends about werewolves and the usual Halloween nonsense.<p>

"Trina! Telephone!" her sister's voice called from the hallway.

"Who is it?" Trina called in return.

"Somebody named Karin!"

Trina's mind went blank for a second at the name Karin, but she remembered just before she was about to blurt out "Who?" She pulled herself off of her bed and picked up the phone that she and her sister shared in their room. "This is Trina," she answered.

"Hey Trina, this is Karin and Erika," came the voice at the other end.

"Hi!"

"Hi. We were wondering if maybe you could come over here tonight."

"Tonight?" Trina looked at the clock. It was still fairly early in the evening, but she hadn't even started her homework yet. "Um, is something wrong?"

"No... not yet, anyway," Karin answered.

"Oh. Well, I haven't started my homework yet, and it's kind of late to be heading over, isn't it?"

"Bring your homework with you and do it on the U-Bahn."

"Yeah, I guess I could do that. But, what's going on? Why do you need me there?"

Trina heard a rustling noise over the line, some muffled voices, and then a different voice. "Hey, this is Erika. Um, Karin got a note from Dain today. He wants her to meet him at a square that's close to our houses. Karin and I figured it would be better if all of us went, just in case something happens. Cynthia agreed, too."

"Oh," Trina replied. She sat silent on the phone for a minute, not knowing how she would explain this to her mother. She was prohibited from seeing Marion on a school night because the distance was too far, and Marion was the only excuse she had to get there.

"Is something wrong?" Erika asked, when Trina didn't say anymore.

"Yeah." She explained the situation with her mother as Erika relayed the information back to Karin and Cynthia.

"Okay. Trina activate your communicator," Erika instructed.

"Should we stay on the phone?" Trina asked.

"Um, well, no, I guess we don't have to."

"Okay, I'm going to hang up then." Trina replaced the phone receiver and pressed the bottom jewel of her right earring. "Can you hear me?" she asked.

"Yes," came Cynthia's mewey cat voice. "Trina, can you leave the house on a school night?"

"Yeah, but my parents have to know where I'm going."

"Is there a library near you?"

"Yeah," Trina answered, slightly confused.

"Could you tell them you're going there to work on homework?"

"Um, I guess - as long as my father doesn't want to come with me."

"Oh great," came Karin's voice. "Nothing like overprotective parents."

Trina frowned. "Well, I could tell them that I'm meeting a girl from school to study with."

"Will it work?" Cynthia asked.

"Yeah, it should. The only problem is, I'd have to walk a long way to get to an U-Bahn station, and that could take a long time." Noisy sighs were heard from Karin and Erika.

"We don't have all night," Karin snapped.

"Well, maybe you should go without me then," Trina retorted.

"No, we need everyone," Cynthia interjected, before Karin could start an argument. "Trina, how soon can you be at the library?"

Trina glanced at the clock. "Ummm... about 20 minutes."

"Alright. That should work."

"What should work?" Erika asked.

"Well, I know of a way we can get her, but I wanted to wait until you were all stronger. But it looks like it's time already - I just hope you're all strong enough," Cynthia answered.

"Uh... what's she talking about?" Trina asked.

"Beats me," Karin answered.

"Nevermind for now," Cynthia replied. "Just get to the library as fast as you can, alright Trina?"

"Okay."

"Oh, and as soon as you're there, transform."

"Ooooookay," Trina grimaced, now confused more than ever.

* * *

><p>Trina stepped out of the car and turned around. "Thanks dad. I'll probably get a ride home when we're finished," she smiled to the person in the car. Slamming the door, she walked toward the stairs of the library. At the foot of the stairs, she listened as the car drove off, and then turned around to make sure her father was gone from sight. Unfortunately, the library was in a more public area of her neighborhood, and there wasn't a whole lot of privacy to be found. Slightly discouraged, Trina walked around to the side of the building to see if maybe there was an alleyway or some trees. Her search brought her to a concrete wall blocking off the alleyway.<p>

"Great," she sighed to herself. "Now what am I going to do?" She looked around, taking note of her position and surroundings. If she transformed here, she'd be seen by anyone who might happen to look - too risky. She turned around to head back to the stairs, but stopped short. At the side of the library wall was an open door - one that lead right underneath the stairs. "Perfect!" she smiled to herself.

Trina stepped in the doorway and tried to look around, but the room was completely dark. At best, she could make out slight outlines of what looked like gardening tools, but there was no way for her to know if anyone was here. Not wanting to waste anymore time, she dropped her bag to the ground and punched out her right fist.

"Neutron Star Power!" The transformation once again took her off guard, but this time, she reveled in it instead of being surprised. For the first time, it felt good to have the power of her home star flowing through her body. As soon as she felt herself pose, Trina - now Sailor Neutron - smiled broadly and picked up her backpack.

"Hey kid! What are you doing in here! Get out of here!" a gruff voice called from deep in the shadows.

Not wanting to know if he'd seen her or not, Neutron apologized quickly and ran out of the storage room beneath the stairs. She laughed lightly as she emerged in the soft evening light. There was no doubt in her mind that everyone outside could see her now, but she didn't care. Activating her communicator, she called Cynthia's name.

"Ready when you are," she grinned.

"We're on our way," Cynthia replied.

Trina walked back to the corner of the alley wall and the side of the library to wait. As she stood there, she felt her neck for her necklace, and realized it wasn't there. Worried, she wondered if maybe it had come off in the storage room... but then, how had she been able to communicate? Her hand traveled up to her throat and the choker that surrounded her neck. But before she had time to wonder, a bright flash of light appeared before her, revealing Sailor Quasar and Sailor Pulsar facing each other and holding hands. Pulsar was the first to open her eyes and look around.

"Oh wow. That's amazing," she grinned.

"What?" Neutron asked.

"You'll see," Quasar smiled in return. "Come join hands with us."

Shouldering her backpack, and shoving it as far behind her as she could, Neutron stepped up to the other two senshi.

"Um, maybe you should put that in the middle. That way it won't be so awkward," Pulsar suggested. Neutron shrugged and placed the bag on the ground in the middle of their small circle, then rejoined hands.

"Okay, now close your eyes, and focus on Cynthia," Quasar explained.

"You mean, like, picture her in my head?"

"Yeah, and what she feels like when she's around you," Pulsar added.

Neutron closed her eyes and focused on her mental picture of the small cat. Suddenly she knew what they meant by how Cynthia "felt," and let her mind concentrate wholly on that feeling. Faintly, she heard Sailor Quasar call out "Starlight Teleport!" Neutron felt her whole body fill with warmth, and had the faintest sensation that they were moving. Cautiously, she opened her eyes. All that she could see around them was blue sky and clouds, and a slight rainbow glimmer told her that they were in some kind of bubble. Looking down she saw tree tops and buildings far below them, moving at an incredible speed. Suddenly, it hit her exactly what was happening, and she panicked. Quasar and Pulsar both tightened their grips instinctively as soon as they felt Neutron's concentration falter.

"Trina, close your eyes and focus on Cynthia," Quasar instructed.

"B... but..." Neutron's breathing was quickly falling out of control, and she was beginning to hyperventilate.

"No, Trina. It doesn't matter where we are," Pulsar soothed. "Just think about Cynthia."

Neutron squeezed her eyes shut again and tried to clear her mind of the panic that had seized her. She pictured the small cat on the first night she'd met her, and tried to remember her voice... her fur... anything that would take her mind off of-

"We're back," she heard Pulsar announce. Slowly opening her eyes, Neutron looked around at their surroundings - trees, grass, flowers... a small square somewhere on the outskirts of town. She felt a soft bump on the bottom of her feet and looked down to see herself standing on solid ground.

"Oh God!" she breathed, kneeling down so she could touch the ground. Her breathing was still hard, but she was no longer panicked. "I'm so sorry, you guys," she gasped. "I guess I never told you that I'm very afraid of heights."

"Well, now we know," Quasar answered, watching the youngest senshi closely.

"Maybe that will help you get used to it," Pulsar grinned.

Neutron shook her head in protest. "No way. I'll ride the U-Bahn from now on, no matter how late it is."

"Just keep your eyes closed," came Cynthia's voice. "In time, you'll forget that you're even in the air." Her small furry body came up and rubbed against Neutron's arm, and she purred with reassurance. Neutron smiled at her, weakly.

* * *

><p>Saphrina glanced around the one-room upstairs apartment of her new "headquarters." Things were finally starting to take shape now that she had her mirrors here. In due time, she knew she would tell Rax and Dain about her "purchase," but for now, this was her own private space. A place where she could scheme and plan as much as she wanted. With a little help from Wiseman, and a return favor from Prince Diamond, she'd been able to obtain holograms and maps of Hamburg - tools that she would need in order to plan her attack extensively. And the more she planned, the less likely she was to fail.<p>

Her first target, the harbor. Since Hamburg was home to one of the busiest shipping ports in the world, it was the perfect place to begin her scheme...

* * *

><p>"Well, it doesn't look like Dain's here yet," Pulsar said, looking around the square. "So, what should we do while we wait?" The two other senshi looked at her and shrugged. Neutron had finally been able to stand up again after several minutes on her hands and knees, and Quasar looked exhausted. "Are you alright Erika?" Pulsar asked, noticing the shadows under her friend's eyes.<p>

"Yeah, for the moment. I guess that teleport thing took a lot out of me," she replied. "I was tired before that, but now..." she trailed off.

"Good, maybe you'll finally sleep tonight," Cynthia teased, licking a front paw smartly.

"Yes, maybe she will."

All four jumped at the sound of the male voice that came from behind Sailor Pulsar. Neutron and Quasar immediately took a step back, but Pulsar wasn't able to turn around before she felt two very cold hands start to encircle her waist. Gasping, she spun out of Dain's grip before he could completely grab hold of her, and backed away facing him.  
>"Well, so much for a private conversation," Dain sneered as he glared at the two other senshi and the feline. "And, really, I'm surprised at your reaction Karin. I thought you'd be glad to see me." He took a step toward her and Pulsar stepped back, keeping the distance between them.<p>

"Why would I be glad to see you after last time?" she asked, clearly nervous.

"What do you mean?" he asked, feigning ignorance. "I saved your life again, remember?"

"What - why do you keep saying you saved my life again?" Pulsar asked, clenching her hands into fists to keep them from shaking. "I don't remember you saving it before!"

Dain shook his head slowly, his violet eyes burning straight into hers. Quasar and Neutron both stood stock still, not knowing if they should even breathe, lest they make him mad again. "Oh Karin, I guess you wouldn't remember since it was completely dark."

Pulsar's mind whirled with the memories from the Dance Club. She and Erika transforming, Quasar being hurt, two figures standing at the front of the room, being lost in complete blackness until Neutron had finally appeared... what was he talking about! She swallowed hard, placed her hands on her hips and summoned up as much courage as she could. "Well... that doesn't matter now," she started. "I am Sailor Pulsar, guardian of the memories of my people, and protector of my friends and fellow Senshi. I will not stand by and let you have an unfair advantage! With the power of my home star, I'll defeat you!" She stood, trying to look as menacing as she could, and knew very well that it wasn't working at all. She felt her face grow hot, and her eyes begin to fill with tears as Dain stood in front of her, laughing. Dropping her arms back to her sides, Pulsar looked over to Quasar and Neutron and shrugged helplessly.

"You have no idea how incredibly corny that whole speech is! You sound just like that Tokyo brat, Sailormoon!" Dain continued to laugh.

"Well, you could at least tell me when it was you first saved my life," Pulsar choked, trying hard to keep her composure. Two tears over flowed, though, and spilled down her cheeks.

Dain's laughter was cut short as soon as he noticed the tears, and before she could react, he was standing in front of her wiping the tears from her face with his bitter-cold hands. She was obviously startled that he was so close to her again, but this time she didn't back away. "Alright, then," he answered. "You at least deserve to know that much. Do you remember hearing or feeling anything close to your ears while it was dark?"

Pulsar searched her memory, because for some reason, that seemed vaguely familiar. There was something... a breeze... a slight cold breeze. "Yes," she nodded her head slightly.

Dain stepped back a little. "That feeling was two ice shards that had been coming straight at your eyes. They most certainly would have killed you if they hadn't been diverted."

"Ice shards?" Pulsar half-whispered, suddenly very aware of how close she'd come to dying that night. She swallowed hard, afraid to ask the next question. "Did you throw them?"

"No. I diverted them. Rax was the one that summoned them."

Pulsar looked over to her fellow senshi, who both stood with their mouths gaping open. Cynthia's eyes were the size of saucers. "Why did you do that?" she asked, looking back at the man standing in front of her.

Dain felt himself falter at her question, but didn't allow it to show on his face. How could he possibly explain it to her - this person that was supposed to be his enemy? How could he tell her that dancing with her the other night had caused him to begin rethinking things? Yes, he was still against Neo Queen Serenity and her Silver Millenium. Yes, he still supported Prince Diamond and his plans to alter history. He was fully aware that sailor senshi were the ultimate enemy, and had no problem with this fact when it came to Sailor Quasar and Sailor Neutron. But Karin... there was something about her that he couldn't get over, and he hadn't been able to pinpoint it yet. All he knew for now was that she had rekindled feelings that he hadn't felt during most of his life. But how could he answer her question?

"I don't know," were the words that he heard come from his own mouth. He continued to hold her gaze for a moment, hoping in the back of his mind that she might understand his situation - but it was doubtful.

Instead, Karin's face dropped from confusion to disappointment, and back to anger. "Oh I see," she finally spat. "It was a charity thing. You wanted to keep me around so that you could keep the odds at three to two, and have more of a challenge! It wouldn't do to have the odds evenly matched - that would be too easy!" Her accusation ended with a shout, and before he could get a chance to answer, she was already summoning her attack. "Pulsar Ultrasonic Scream!"

Cynthia immediately dove for the ground with her paws over her ears, and Dain's face was filled with shock as the ultrasonic pitch assaulted his eardrums. Neutron and Quasar, however, heard nothing.

"Did it work?" Neutron whispered to Quasar, as they watched their enemy cover his ears and writhe in pain.

"Well, I don't think he's putting on an act," Quasar answered, as dogs around the neighborhood began to bark in protest. "But since it's above our hearing range, we don't hear it, and neither does Karin."

Neutron nodded her head, even though she had no idea what Quasar meant by "above our hearing range." But she decided she'd better ask about it later.

* * *

><p>"Dain!" Rax's voice rang through the empty chambers that were his, Saphrina's and Dain's quarters. "Dain!" Saphrina's second henchman stormed through the hallways, throwing open the doors to the different rooms. His breathing was ragged, like he had just finished running, and his mind was jumbled with confusion and anger. Saphrina had deserted them. "Where is that loser?" he seethed to himself. "It's just like him to take off when something like this has happened. Dain!"<p>

After several minutes of cursing and abusing his surroundings, Rax finally decided to look elsewhere. It was obvious that neither of them were here, but he hadn't the slightest idea where to begin looking.

"Awww, is the little sheep lost?" a high pitched, very annoying female voice echoed through the main chamber, startling Rax. "It's so interesting to me that Saphrina has already decided to ditch you after she rallied so hard for your participation." Slightly above him, a beautiful female appeared and shook some kind of fan with feathers all over it.

"Emerald," he growled. "I should have expected this." Emerald laughed her hideous laugh and shook her fan wildly. "Why, Rax, I'm hurt. I had hoped you'd be glad to see me," she sneered.

Rax glowered at her, but couldn't think of anything hurtful enough to reply with. This made her laugh again. "God! Would you stop making that disgusting noise!"

It was Emerald's turn to glower at Rax, and her look was cold enough to make him start regretting that he'd said anything. "Not for you," she bit. A tense silence followed as the two regarded each other hatefully. Rax knew he didn't stand a chance against her power, but he wasn't going to let her think past that split second of memory. Just let her try...

"Well, I can see that small talk will get us nowhere, so I'll be brief." Emerald's stiletto heels clicked as her feet touched the ground. "As you've noticed, Saphrina has deserted you. Apparently, you've fallen far short of the expectations she had for you. However, you do have a chance to redeem yourself..." she trailed off, examining a fingernail.

Rax waited for a second, and when it was obvious that she wasn't going to continue, he took a menacing step toward her. "Tell me," he demanded.

"Hm? Oh, yes," she giggled again, causing Rax's flesh to crawl. "Well, your friend Dain is beginning to falter. It seems that his... dedication isn't quite what it was."

Rax's eyes glimmered in the dim light. "What do you mean, exactly?"

Emerald smiled. "Well, it seems that he has a soft spot for one of your sworn enemies - the Starlight Senshi."

Rax nodded. He had seen the way Dain was talking to that girl the other day, and he was fairly certain that she was the same one whose life Dain had saved the other night. Too bad really, those ice shards had been right on target.. "Dain is a weak fool," he murmured.

This comment caused Emerald to laugh again. "Oh, quite the contrary!" she giggled. "He's much stronger than you when it comes to powers, and the fact that he has such a weak spot shows that he's passionate. His passion just needs to be redirected toward our cause."

Her taunt caused Rax's temper to flare. "Are you telling me that I'm useless!" he screamed, his hands clenching to fists.

Emerald idly inspected her fingernail again before replying, "Yes."

Unable to control his temper any longer, Rax sent a wave of dark energy flying toward Emerald. A loud boom was followed by a cloud of dust as the wall at the opposite end of the hall disintegrated. Instead of satisfaction, though, he found himself cringing once again as her hideous laugh echoed through the room. "I am not useless!" he shouted into the air. "Saphrina picked me for a reason, and I intend to prove that!"

"Then you'd better get moving," her voice replied. "I'd highly suggest that you take it up with her yourself, because with each passing moment, she's more convinced that she's done the right thing by leaving you both behind. You might want to try... the harbor...

"What do you mean she's more convinced!" Rax shouted at the ceiling. However, the relieving lack of laughter told him that she was no longer there. Fuming, he surveyed the damage his attack had caused. "That doesn't exactly look useless to me," he growled to himself. "The harbor it is..."

* * *

><p>Dain continued to hold his ears and groan in pain a few minutes after Sailor Pulsar's attack had subsided. Now he knew what Neutron and Pulsar could do, and he really didn't feel like sticking around to find out what Quasar could do - probably kill him. One thing he was absolutely positive of now, though, was that he, Saphrina and Rax had greatly underestimated these three girls. There was no telling what other kinds of destructive abilities they might have hidden. His head pounded from the sonic pitch that continued to echo through his head...<p>

Sailor Pulsar stood over the writhing figure, watching him. At first, she had been amused that her attack had the affect that it did, but now she was starting to worry - exactly how strong was that ultrasonic scream anyway? Not wanting to appear weak, though, she turned to Neutron and Quasar.

"Hey Erika, why don't you finish him off?"

Quasar looked at her, exhausted and worried. "Um... okay," she hesitated. Inside, she had no desire to incinerate the man that was now helpless on the ground in front of them. As far as she knew, he hadn't done anything to them, but there was no logical reason to let someone who was in league with the enemy get away. She reached up to her tiara and touched the jewel. "Karin..." she started. Pulsar looked at her questioningly. "I... I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because he hasn't done anything to us."

"Erika! He tried to kill us the other night at the dance club!"

"But he didn't..."

"That's because he didn't succeed, remember? Trina knocked him down before he could finish doing... whatever he was doing! He wouldn't have hesitated to kill us too if we hadn't been able to defend ourselves."

Quasar shrugged, not knowing how to reply. Pulsar was right, but everything inside her was screaming that this was wrong. Her attention was quickly diverted, though, when she saw Dain struggle to his knees.

"Erika, you have to do it now!" Pulsar demanded.

"I..." Quasar faltered and shook her head.

Dain looked up at the senshi standing in front of him - the most beautiful and deadly woman he'd ever met. For some reason, his eyes weren't focusing clearly, but he could tell that she was demanding something. His head throbbed, and his balance was terribly off. He reached out a hand to steady himself, and brushed Pulsar's boot, but his balance was thrown again as her foot jerked back, out of his reach.

"Erika!" Pulsar screamed. "See? He's not going to give up!"

"No," Quasar persisted.

Exasperated, Pulsar turned her attention to Neutron. "Alright, then. Since she won't do it, you do it Trina."

Neutron's eyes grew wide at Pulsar's suggestion, and she shrank back. "Um, I don't think he's trying to attack you, Karin."

"What? How do you know that!"

"Look at his face," Neutron pointed.

Pulsar looked down at the pathetic figure and felt her mouth drop open in shock. Tears were streaming down his face, and he kept brushing at his eyes like he wasn't sure what was wrong with them. It was clear that he was completely disoriented, because his mouth kept moving like he was trying to say something, but only garbled noise came out. He started to reach for her foot again, but when she stepped back, the garbled noise turned into distinct sobs. Looking lost and completely distraught, the pitiful figure stared up at her. For a moment, he looked like he was concentrating, but just before Pulsar could decide that he was going to attack her, he managed to say the one thing that she never thought she'd hear from him.

"I'm sorry." The words were scratchy and clearly forced, but his face gave her every indication that he meant it. Then, in a flash of black, he was gone.


	11. Episode 11: Bridges

Dain's head felt like it was about to split open. Any movement of his eyes, no matter how slight, caused sharp pain to stab through to the back of his head. The one thing that kept him from screaming out, though, was the blessed silence that reigned in the room, and his ears no longer echoed the terrible scream. A soft shuffle and the whisper of clothing told him someone was near, but thankfully, they weren't saying anything. He didn't know if his ears or his head would be able to handle anything louder. A soft cool cloth was placed on his forehead, easing the fiery pain that ripped through every inch of his skull.

"Try to relax," the person whispered above him. "Sleep is the only thing that can help you now, so rest."

Curiosity picked at the back of Dain's mind, but the need to lie still and be quiet far outweighed any desire to open his eyes. The cloth on his forehead was cool, easing the pain set deep behind his eyes...

* * *

><p>Saphrina stared coldly at the wet figure in front of her. Rax stood on the steps of her new hideout, wet as a rat from the pouring rain, his light green hair sending streams of water down his shoulders.<p>

"So you've decided to come crawling back," she growled, eyeing him with disgust.

"I don't remember ever deserting you," Rax shot back.

"Well, you certainly didn't listen to me the first time, so why should I even consider a second chance?"

"Because you never gave me a chance to explain what happened before," Rax snorted.

"Excuses, no matter how valid, are not acceptable," Saphrina allowed herself a small grin as the rain began to pour harder. "You failed miserably during the first assignment. What could you possibly do that would make up for failing at such a simple task?"

Rax looked down at his feet, anger swelling inside him. It was obvious that Saphrina didn't want any of his assistance, and she didn't think she needed it either. He glared back up at her, determined to prove something.

"At least I'm here," he started. "Isn't it funny that the person you lobbied and rallied so hard for isn't anywhere to be seen, but I am?"

Saphrina stared down at him with contempt. "I lobbied and rallied for you, too. So much for wasted efforts."

Her comment stung Rax, but he pushed on. "Maybe so. But your star student is the one who has ultimately failed..." he paused, waiting for her to take the bait.

"And exactly how did he fail?" she asked.

"He's allied himself with the enemy by falling in love with one of the Starlight Senshi."

Saphrina found herself deeply startled by this news. It was everything she could do to keep her mouth from falling wide open, and her face stone. Dain, the man she'd secretly been fond of, had fallen for another woman? And the enemy at that! "Hmph," she rolled her eyes, feigning disgust. "It figures. Get in here before I change my mind." She stepped to the side, letting the sopping wet figure pass by. Deep inside, she resolved not to let Dain's betrayal slide, but she had more important things to consider right now - like, how to carry out her plan for attacking the harbor.

* * *

><p><em>Karin <em>_was __warm. __Something __about __this __warmth, __though, __was __particularly __peaceful. __It __was __safe, __it __was __calm, __it __was..._

_"Karin," __a __soft __masculine __voice __whispered __her __name __above __her. __That __was __when __she __realized __she __was __being __held __in __someone's __arms. __Someone __that __she __loved __very __much. __Instinctively, __she __wrapped __her __own __arms __around __him, __resting __her __head __against __his __chest. __Safe. __Secure. __Warm. __It __never __occurred __to __her __to __look __up __at __his __face. __She __didn't __need __to. __She __knew __who __it __was.  
><em>

_"Karin!" __another __voice __called __from __behind __her. __This __voice, __though, __was __harsh, __mocking... __and __all __too __familiar. __Laughter __rang __out __from __the __second __voice, __and __she __turned __to __see __a __figure __dressed __entirely __in __black __walking __toward __her. __Dain! __She __turned __back __to __the __man __whose __arms __were __holding __her __close, __trying __her __hardest __to __hold __on __to __him __as __tightly __as __she __could. __But __it __wasn't __any __use. __The __tighter __she __held, __the __faster __he __slipped __away._ NOOOOOOO! _she __cried __out, __desperately __reaching __for __him._ Don't leave me! He'll kill me!

_Dain's __laughter __rang __out __again, __this __time __directly __behind __her. __She __turned __to __face __him, __not __knowing __how __she __would __ever __defend __herself. __The __twisted __smirk __on __his __face __changed __to __one __of __intense __desire, __and __he __leaned __forward, __touching __his __lips __to __hers. __She __started __to __scream, __but __no __sound __came __out. __She __was __frozen..._

Karin sat up in her bed, gasping for air. Her heart was racing, her pulse pounding, and she was drenched in sweat. She looked at the clock - 5:29 am. Her alarm would be going off in a minute anyway so that she could go running. Trembling, she swung her feet out of bed and stepped onto the rug beside her bed. The dream... that dream had been so vivid, so real... She made her way down the narrow hallway to the bathroom and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a tangled damp mess, and her face was red from crying. _Crying?_ Karin wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, drying the tears. She turned the water on and let it run for a minute, letting it get as cold as it could. Still trembling, she splashed her face with the icy water, gasping at the shock.

_Much __better,_ she thought to herself. _I __just __need __to __get __going. __It __was __only __a __dream. __It __wasn't __real._ She splashed more cold water onto her face, grateful for the refreshment.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Cynthia, can I ask you something?" Erika pulled at the comforter on her bed, straightening and smoothing it. The small cat sat in the corner near her small desk, watching her.<p>

"Sure. What's on your mind?"

"Well, I've been thinking about everything that's happened in the last week. You and me meeting, finding Karin, going to the dance club, finding Trina, and everything else." Erika paused as she picked up her nightgown and grabbed a hangar. "And it seems to me that the only really major thing that's happened was at the dance club."

"Yes, so far," Cynthia agreed.

"So, since then, nothing really important has happened, and that dance club incident really didn't seem to be a big deal - everyone recovered from that fine. They were all just weak for a day or two."

Cynthia sensed something in Erika's voice as she spoke, and it didn't seem very positive. "What are you saying, Erika?" she asked.

"Well, I was wondering, is it possible that reviving the Starlight Senshi was a mistake?"

Cynthia sat on the floor, stunned. This was really the last thing she'd expected to hear from Erika this morning, and she had been thinking that things were going very well. The girls had all proven themselves in conflict so far, and they even seemed to be getting used to the idea that they were soldiers called to fight for love and justice against forces that would be unstoppable to ordinary people. What on earth would make Erika think that this was all a mistake?

"I... I..." Cynthia stumbled, trying to think of something to say. "Well, no, I don't," she finally managed. She shook her head vigorously. "Erika, why would you ask me something like that?"

"Well, because it just seems like Trina and I are background figures in this whole thing. I mean, everything that's happened so far has been centered mostly around Karin. I guess what I'm saying is, is it possible that Trina and I aren't needed?"

"No! You're both vital! What would make you think that Karin's the only one that's important?"

"Because she's the one everything's happened to so far," Erika sighed, trying to think of how else to say this so that Cynthia might understand. "Okay, look at the whole situation with Dain. The guy is following her everywhere. It's like he's in love with her or something, 'cause he just won't stop. He's saved her life twice - according to him, he sends her notes, he probably stands outside her window and watches her sleep! It's like Trina and I stumbled uninvited into Karin's little crisis." Erika sat down on her bed, sighing. "I don't know. It's hard to have my emotions toyed with like this. I mean, one day I'm important and have this wonderful royal heritage. The next day, I'm the second hand senshi standing in the corner..." she trailed off, looking at the floor.

Cynthia sat over in her corner, furious. So this was what it was going to be like. The leader of the Starlight Senshi was insecure because someone was getting a little more attention than she was. Her tail twitched back and forth wildly. But what could she say? Maybe she should just let Erika wallow in her pity party for a day or so. Let something happen, something important. But what would she do? Shrink back and act like she wasn't needed? This could not be allowed to continue. Not when the enemies were making themselves so apparent.

"Erika! Come eat your breakfast!" Erika's mother called from the kitchen.

Erika looked up at the cat, expecting her to say something. Cynthia's face didn't show any expression, though. Only her tail twitched back and forth. "Well, think about it," Erika said, as she grabbed her nightgown. "Some rearranging of the senshi leadership might be in order."

Cynthia watched her as she left the room, her temper flaring. "It's time to find out whether or not Central Command is still around," she seethed. "Self-pitying senshi and a bad attitude must be listed somewhere in their reference manuals," she bit, the sarcasm evident. "I will not put up with spoiled brats!"

* * *

><p>Rax fingered the shirt he'd been wearing the night before - it was still damp from the soaking rain. In the next room, Saphrina was studying the harbor intently through one of the mirrors. The rain from the night before had left the harbor covered in a gauzy fog, so she was having a rather tough time finding anything. Rax grinned to himself. At least she couldn't blame him for that. Shrugging, he let go of the damp material. He had managed to dig up some dry pants from his belongings, but everything else had been soaked. But it didn't matter, the shirt could wait. It was time to straighten things out with his boss. Bare-chested, he strode out to the main room.<p>

"So, do we start with you deserting us, or should we pick over the dance club incident again?" Rax sneered as he approached Saphrina.

Startled, the woman shot a deadly glance back at him. "And just what makes you think I owe you any kind of explanation?"

"Well, you did let me in last night," he replied.

"A moment of weakness that I don't intend to repeat," Saphrina snapped. "Now, are you going to waste my time with silly questions, or are you going to do the job you were chosen to do?"

Rax glared at Saphrina's back, hundreds of questions whirling through his mind about her "moment of weakness." But it was obvious that there was no way he would get her to talk now. Maybe another time. "That depends," he replied.

Saphrina turned from the mirror, this time noticing that Rax was without a shirt. Her gaze lingered a split-second longer than it should have, and she cursed herself silently as she fixed a look of distaste on her features. "Depends on what?"

"On whether or not you tell me what your plan is. I can't exactly do my job fully unless I know what's going on, can I?" Rax reveled in her hesitation. That was exactly the reaction he'd been hoping to get from her.

Saphrina sighed, exasperated already by Rax's attitude, and embarrassed that she'd been caught off guard. "Fine," she growled. "Sit down and shut up. I'm only going to explain this once..."

* * *

><p>"Hi Erika!" Karin bounced up to her friend in an unusually cheerful mood. "How's it going?"<p>

Erika regarded her fellow senshi warily, suspicious of her mood. "Um, fine, I guess. What's up with you?"

Karin beamed. "I just aced my literature essay exam! Finally! It's the first time I've actually gotten a solid 'A' on a test in that class. So, I'm in the mood to celebrate."

"Congratulations." Erika smiled weakly and sighed. She'd been thinking all day about what she'd said to Cynthia, and as the day went, she became more and more convinced that she was right.

Karin finally noticed Erika's mood. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, forgetting her exam for the moment.

Erika shrugged and shook her head. "Nothing, really. Just kinda depressed."

"Why?"

Erika tried her hardest to avoid looking directly at Karin. It wasn't that she didn't like her anymore, she just didn't know how she could explain how she was feeling without Karin getting mad. "Um, well, are you walking home?"

"Yeah," Karin nodded. "Do you need to talk?"

Erika swallowed hard. "Well, yeah, but I don't know if you'll understand."

"Why?"

"Because it's about you and the whole senshi thing."

Karin felt the elation from her test melt away into an uneasy anxiety, but more than anything, she was curious. "How about we walk slowly?" she said, giving Erika a half-smile.

"That'll work," Erika smiled back. "The thing is, I don't know where to start."

"Well, when did you start thinking about... whatever is bothering you?"

"Um, right after the dance club incident."

"Okay then, start there," Karin encouraged her friend.

* * *

><p>Cynthia glared at the computer screen in the study. Her search on the internet had proven successful in locating the Sailor V video game, but downloading it onto the computer in front of her hadn't allowed her to contact Central Command. The only other alternative she could think of was to contact the guardian cat that Sailormercury knew... if she could remember the guardian's name...<p>

* * *

><p>Dain felt himself slowly come back to consciousness. Another cool cloth was placed on his head, but already he could tell that the pain had eased considerably. Maybe even enough to try and open his eyes.<p>

"You're awake," a soft female voice half-whispered. "How are you feeling?"

For a split second, Dain wondered how she knew he was awake since he hadn't consciously done anything to indicate it. "Better," he managed to whisper, suddenly very aware that his throat was very dry and he was incredibly thirsty.

"Here," the voice whispered. He felt her hand reach under his shoulders and support him as he slowly sat up. The cool touch of water on his lips made him gulp the offered drink down quickly. But he still hadn't opened his eyes.

"Where am I?" he asked, once the cup had been removed.

"In a place of sanctuary," the voice replied.

"Can I open my eyes?" he asked, wondering if the room was brightly lit or dim.

"I don't see why not," the person laughed quietly. "It was your ears that I was worried about."

Dain felt a twinge of annoyance at her response, but quickly forgot it as he worked the muscles of his eyes. They felt slightly weak - like they hadn't been used for a few days. But the sight that greeted him as his eyelids slowly opened made him gasp. The room he was in was shaped in a half circle, and the circular wall was made entirely of glass. Outside, in what appeared to be a night sky, thousands of colors swirled in gigantic patterns. The room, however, was still dim enough that it was comfortable to look at after keeping his eyes closed for so long.

"Where am I?" he asked again, finally looking at the woman standing next to him.

She turned to look at him, a puzzled expression on her face. "You don't know?" she asked in return.

Dain slowly shook his head. "No. All you said was that this is a place of sanctuary."

The woman sighed gently and sat down next to him on the cot. "Tell me what the last thing you remember is."

Dain sat for a minute, puzzled by her request. "Well, I was attacked by a girl who thought I was going to hurt her." His head reeled momentarily as the painful memory of the ultrasonic scream came back to him all too clearly. He rested his head in his hands, struggling against the urge to lie back down. "I managed to gather enough strength to get myself out of there, but I honestly didn't know where I would end up. I thought I'd be back at my quarters."

The woman nodded thoughtfully at his meager explanation. "But instead you ended up here," she murmured quietly.

Dain looked back up at her, utterly confused. "Which brings me back to my original question. Where am I?"

The woman stood up again, and walked across the room slowly. "Does any of this look familiar to you?" she finally asked, turning around to face him.

"No... Should it?"

"Dain, how old are you?" she asked in return, dodging his questions once again.

"What?"

"How old are you?"

Dain shrugged, his patience beginning to wear thin with her unwillingness to answer any of his questions. "I have no idea. I stopped counting a long time ago. Why? What will that tell you? And how do you know my name?"

The woman smiled patiently. "Relax, Dain. I'm every bit as confused as you are, and I'm merely trying to figure out why you would re-... come to this place."

Dain shifted a little on the cot, and forced himself to restrain his temper - something he hadn't done in a long time.

"Now, what's the earliest memory you have?" she pressed.

Dain thought for a moment, wondering how he could possibly sift through thousands of years worth of memories to find the earliest one. "I have no idea," he finally admitted.

"It's been far too long since I cared to look back on my past."

"I see," she half-whispered, turning to look once again at the gigantic patterns of color swirling outside.

A few awkward moments of silence passed as the two were lost in their own thoughts. Dain was suddenly fascinated by her request of his earliest memory, and struggled to dig through the countless images that suddenly flooded his mind. Memories of plotting, struggling, fighting, scheming and finally coming into favor with some of the "leaders" of the Black Moon. But before that... it was like running into a black wall.

"Forgive my rudeness," the woman's voice interrupted his reverie. "You must be hungry. Do you feel like you can walk?"

Carefully, Dain stood up from the cot, testing his legs. They were slightly shaky, but not too bad. "I suppose, as long as we take it slowly," he admitted.

"Excellent. Follow me."

* * *

><p>"So, that's what's bothering me," Erika finished. "I just feel like maybe Trina and I weren't supposed to be awakened yet since nothing's really affected us so far."<p>

Karin nodded slowly as Erika wrapped up her story. She was suddenly feeling very awkward standing there, and felt like maybe she should leave Erika alone. But that wouldn't solve anything. Best to get this cleared up now.

"Erika," she started. "I'm not really sure what to say. I guess all I can say now is I'm sorry. I had no idea things were going to turn this direction..." she trailed off searching for something else to say. Something, hopefully, that would inspire Erika and make her feel involved. But nothing would come. The only thing she could manage was, "It's not my fault," and it felt like the lamest thing in the world to say.

Erika stood in the sun-warmed side street looking at her new friend silently. Karin's face and her whole body suddenly looked very tired, very young, and very vulnerable. This wasn't the same warrior that had faced down a sinister enemy only a few days before, and it wasn't the same girl that had aced her essay test earlier that same day. This was someone who felt every bit as deeply and sincerely about things as Erika did - and she'd cut Karin to the core with her little pity party.

"I don't even know what I'm fighting for," Karin finally admitted.

"What do you mean?" Erika gasped, stunned out of her thoughts.

"Well, you know all about astronomy, right?" Erika nodded. "Okay, so you tell me what a pulsar is."

"It's an extremely dense core of material from a star that spins incredibly fast and emits radio waves and pulses of light," Erika rattled off automatically. "I don't understand, Karin. What are you saying?"

"It's a core of material from a star... a dead star," Karin stated softly. "I'm a soldier for love and justice, and I defend..." she faltered for a minute, trying to regain her composure as tears welled in her eyes, "...dead stars."

Erika found herself staring agape at the taller girl before her, suddenly understanding perfectly what Karin was saying. She felt every bit of self pity melt away as she realized that Karin had been fighting along side her with this knowledge, even though she had most certainly wondered what the point was. And here she was feeling sorry for herself just because the attention hadn't been focused on her.

"Karin, I... I'm sorry. I hadn't even thought about that," Erika said, hoping to ease the tension a little bit. But the taller senshi had already given in to the tears that had been threatening to spill over.

"Erika, you have no idea, do you?" Karin started, accusingly. "There's nothing left. There was nothing left when I began this whole senshi thing back in the Silver Millenium. I didn't even have a legend to grasp to like you did. My whole world, my whole family, everything I knew is gone! But I'm still here! I'm still fighting along side you and Trina. Why? I haven't the slightest idea, except that it feels like the right thing to do! How was I supposed to know that Dain would suddenly decide to stalk me? Do you really think I want to have him - our sworn enemy - following me around like a drooling puppy? My God!"

Erika stood back against the side of the building she and Karin had come up against, confused, hurt and guilty all at once. And for once, she didn't have anything to say. She had lost her entire family too - everything she'd known, her friends, her home. But the center of the galaxy still blazed in memory of the magnificent kingdom that had died so many millions of years ago. Karin only had a tiny beacon to remind the universe of what had once existed of her home.

"Karin, I..." Erika started, but realized that there was nothing to say or do that would fix the mess she'd created. Even an apology really didn't seem like the right thing. She closed her mouth as she watched her friend's tear streaked face.

"Look, maybe we just need to be apart for a little while, okay?" Karin finally managed through her tears. "I think we've seen too much of each other during the last week and a half, and we barely know each other." She sniffed and took a deep breath. "You know how to contact me if something happens, but I'll try not to bother you with my own 'personal crisis,' okay?" her voice cracked on her last few words as a new flood of tears started to spill from her eyes. Hurriedly, she picked up her school bag and walked as fast as she could toward her home without breaking into a run.

Erika watched Karin leave, devastated and confused all at once. So much for feeling sorry for herself earlier. Now she had really screwed things up...

* * *

><p>"Guten Tag. How may I help you today?" The young receptionist smiled up at the exotically beautiful woman standing in front of her desk.<p>

"I'm here to speak with Herr Becker. I believe it was a 3:00 appointment," the woman gazed down at her with an air of detached boredom.

The receptionist glanced down at the neatly typed appointment list for the company president. "Frau Schattenstein?" The woman nodded. "Please follow me."

* * *

><p>Rax walked along through the bustling business district of Hamburg, reaching out a hand to brush objects every so often. His presence was inconspicuous enough since he was dressed in a suit and looked like any one of the people that continually passed him. The only difference was that they were all in a hurry, and he wasn't. He smiled to himself, pleased that this particular task was so simple. He was planting sentinels...<p>

* * *

><p>"Feel better?"<p>

The woman seated across from him smiled patiently as Dain finished the last of his meal. He'd had to take it rather slow since he hadn't eaten in a few days. A small pang of annoyance shot through him at her words. Everything here was so quiet, so... dull. Nothing was going on, and this woman seemed to be the only one here. Deep inside, a small thought had begun to nag at him while he had been eating - how was he going to get back to Saphrina? She'd no doubt be furious with him after he'd been missing for a few days, and who knew what had happened since he'd left.

"You look better," the woman answered herself. "The color's come back to your face a little."

Dain leaned back in his chair and studied the woman for a moment. She looked familiar - in a very faint sort of way. "May I ask you something?" he finally said. She nodded. "Who are you?"

The woman's facial expression didn't change, but her body language certainly did. Suddenly her shoulders were very tense, and she dropped her hands from the table top to her lap. Dain silently noted that the question seemed to disturb her quite a bit, even though she was good at not showing it.

"My name is Claire," she answered.

Dain watched her for another moment. That had been easy enough, so maybe it was time to ask a few more questions. "How long have I been here, Claire?"

"Three earth days," she answered easily.

"I see," Dain nodded. "Are you the only one here?" He gestured to indicate the entire structure, not just the room they were in.

"Sometimes," she replied. "There are others that come and go on occasion."

"Is this a hospital?"

Claire smiled. "In some ways yes, in others, no. It depends on your purpose. I prefer to call it a sanctuary."

Dain puzzled over her answer for a minute. It certainly was one of the more unusual answers he'd gotten. Suddenly, any and all bitterness or anger that had still been pent up inside him melted away, and an insatiable curiosity filled him. He leaned forward. "Claire, how did I get here?" he asked sincerely.

Surprise flickered across Claire's face at Dain's question. She tried to cover it, but obviously it had shocked her enough that she couldn't. "You came at your own free will," she answered. "That's the only way anyone can arrive here."

Dain felt his expression change to match her own. "Well, then, where am I?"

Claire shook her head slowly, not knowing what to make of the wild young-looking man across from her. "You're in the Orion Nebula."

* * *

><p>"You did WHAT!" Cynthia cried, after listening to Erika's teary confession. She had managed to send off an e-mail request to Sailormercury about her own guardian cat, but she hadn't heard anything back yet. And now Erika had come to her with this.<p>

"I'm sorry Cynthia!" Erika sobbed. "I thought I could fix things by telling her. I didn't know it was going to make her feel so bad."

"Erika, why couldn't you have just kept your mouth shut until you got home? Now we're in a terrible mess, and we have no idea what's going to happen next!"

Erika flopped herself down on the bed dramatically, and hugged a pillow as she turned to look at the furious cat. She sniffed.

"Does Trina know about any of this?" Cynthia demanded.

"No, I don't think so," Erika answered.

"Good. Don't tell her. The last thing I need is to have the three of you taking sides against each other." The small cat sat in a huff for a moment, her fur bristling as she mentally reviewed the confession Erika had just given her. "Did you apologize?"

"Well, I started to," Erika admitted. "But -"

"But what?" Cynthia glowered.

"She was too mad."

Cynthia exploded. "She was too mad? _She __was __too __mad?_ Trust me, Erika! You haven't seen 'mad' yet! But you've just about pushed me to that point!" Erika cowered as the feline leaped onto her bed, claws bared. "I've just about had enough of you and your whining today! I was absolutely shocked by what you said to me this morning, and then you decide to take matters into your own hands! I've worked too hard for too long to have a spoiled brat of a teenager try to fix things how she wants them - and look where it's gotten you! You've managed to alienate a member of the team, and you've managed to push me to the point where I just want to turn tail and run away from all of this!"

"Cynthia, I'm sorry!" Erika managed to squeeze in.

Cynthia stared at her, her eyes wide with indignation. "You're sorry? Well, thank you Erika, let's just slap an adhesive bandage over a stab wound and call it good!" She jumped up into the window box, and tore out a few of the flowers, shaking them wildly before tossing them to the ground. "I've got to get out of here before I do something drastic. And don't you dare try to contact me before I come back! Understand!"

Erika nodded, too stunned to say anything, and watched as the small cat jumped from the flower box to the street below. Shaking, she clutched her pillow to her chest and sobbed.

* * *

><p>Saphrina strode purposefully out of the large office building, pleased with how well the meeting with Herr Becker had gone. He was definitely a shrewd businessman, but he was still open-minded enough to be taken for a fool. Maybe not by the people of his business, or even this world, but Saphrina was above all of this primitive wheeling and dealing - and quite frankly, it was a very simple game to play. This would go very smoothly indeed.<p>

* * *

><p><span>A Couple Notes<span>

"Herr" is pronounced "hair" (well, pretty close) and means "Mr."  
>"Schattenstein" (the name Saphrina uses for her meeting) means "shadow stone."<p> 


	12. Episode 12: Awakenings

Rax stood at the small window of his room, watching the evening fade into night. It had been two days since he'd planted the sentinels around the harbor, and Saphrina still hadn't set things into motion yet. He was getting impatient. Dain, of course, was still no where to be found. Not that it bothered him, really. In fact, the longer Dain was gone, the more confident Rax felt about his position with Saphrina. She was finally starting to talk to him with a speck of respect - something he hadn't ever experienced while Dain was near. Rax allowed himself a smile. It was all quickly becoming his own territory... including Saphrina.

* * *

><p>"Cynthia, are you ever going to come back?" Erika looked down at the old ice-skate box. Cynthia had been missing for almost four days now, and Erika was starting to wonder if she'd left for good. Despite Cynthia's warning, she'd tried to contact her using her necklace and earrings, but the small feline hadn't replied to her pleas.<p>

Neither had Karin. Erika had tried to call her and apologize, but her mother had either taken a message or else the phone wasn't answered. Erika had also tried to call Trina, but for whatever reason, the girl was never home. The small purple stone around Erika's neck felt heavy, and she hadn't dared try to use the communicator to catch Trina since she had no idea where the girl might be... and she doubted Karin would answer.

"Well, it's a good thing nothing serious has happened," Erika mumbled to herself. She gazed around the small room that had been hers for as long as she could remember. But instead of being a comfort, it felt cramped. "I've gotta get out of here," she sighed, picking up a light sweater on the way out.

* * *

><p>Darkness. Cold. Awareness. The slightest flicker of movement. And an insatiable need...<p>

* * *

><p>Dain leaned his shoulder against the glass of "his" room. The colors outside didn't appear to have shifted in their pattern, but they were still breathtaking. His thoughts weren't on the spectacle before him, though. Claire had been persistent in asking him what his earliest memory was, and he had finally retreated to his quarters to escape her constant questioning. She was virtually unwilling to tell him anything about herself and about the building he was in. But even in solitude, he couldn't escape the haunting question about his earliest memory, and he found himself reaching back as far as he could to the black wall blocking out anything before the Black Moon.<p>

The Black Moon memories were not his favorite. There was a reason he'd pushed them back so far and forgotten them. He still bore the scars on his back from the "initiation," but by now, they were almost completely gone. It had been so many years since the horror of that experience...

Dain jumped slightly as he pulled himself from his terrible reverie. He must have had a damn good reason to join the Black Moon and stick with it through all of the tortures they had inflicted. He remembered clearly that with each blow and mocking stare, his resolve had become hardened and impenetrable, but the self-pity, sorrow and reasons had been beaten out of him. Before a year had passed, he was not able to remember anything about his past, nor did he want to. The eternal quest for power and dominance had become all that he cared about.

He shook himself and turned from the window, facing the soft black wall that cut the grand circle of windows in half. Soft light from small globes above illuminated the room slightly, but the brilliance of the nebula outside provided more than enough light. Slowly, Dain walked toward the wall with his arms folded across his chest. A small panel of dim colored lights sat against the far end of the wall, attracting his attention, and he desperately needed something to take his mind off of the terrible memories he had conjured up. As he touched the small blue light at the top, a brighter light illuminated the space he was standing in. He touched the next one down, and a piece of the wall in front of him slid open silently, revealing a neat closet. Dain pressed the third light, and another light illuminated the closet. Along the back, he could see several shelves were filled with books, and along the walls, rich clothes hung neatly. But everything was covered in a fine layer of dust. It had obviously been a long time since anyone had been in here.

He moved carefully between the clothes toward the back of the closet. The books seemed like a logical relief to his awful memories, and maybe he would actually find something that would be slightly entertaining. Reaching up, he randomly pulled one from the shelf and walked out of the closet. If this didn't help, he didn't know if anything would.

* * *

><p>Karin slammed the literature book shut and rested her head on the foot of her bed. Her knees were starting to go numb from kneeling, and she felt cramped in her tiny room. Her mother had been answering all the phone calls, and Karin hadn't bothered to wear her communicator since she and Erika had "talked." But all of this solitude was beginning to smother her. She needed to get out. Carefully, Karin stood up and stretched, her fingertips brushing the low ceiling in her room. The night outside looked cool and refreshing, and the thought of the breeze around her body convinced Karin that it was a good time for a jog. She opened her closet and pulled out her running shoes, then turned to find a pair of sweats.<p>

A few minutes later, Karin finished wrapping an elastic around her hair and made her way down to the kitchen. She was just about to head out the door when her mother's voice came from the small front room.

"Karin? Are you going somewhere?"

"Yeah, I'm going jogging. I'll be back in a little while," Karin answered.

A rustle of movement came from the room, and her mother appeared in the doorway. "I thought you went running this morning," the older, slightly shorter version of Karin stared at her daughter questioningly. "Is everything okay?"

Karin nodded and wondered if she should smile. But she quickly decided that her mother would know everything was _not_ okay if she did that. "Yeah," she sighed. "I just need to get out and get some air. I've been studying too hard."

"Okay," her mother nodded. "Just don't be too long."

"I won't," Karin promised as she ducked out the door.

Her mother watched as Karin walked briskly down the street, wondering what could have happened to make her daughter change so dramatically in the last week or so. She had noticed that Karin carried her head a little higher, but that her eyes were a little sadder. And now her daughter had drawn herself into solitude. "Oh, my sweet daughter, I know you'll find the strength to persevere. Just hang in there..."

* * *

><p>The need for light. For light to enter the darkness and be consumed. To crush and destroy. A sharp crashing sound, an artificial light, and a strange sensation. This was not what was desired. The need must be fulfilled elsewhere...<p>

* * *

><p>Saphrina flashed her most convincing smile as she swallowed the last drop of liquor in her glass. Herr Becker stood across from her, pen in hand, and swallowed his brandy triumphantly.<p>

"Well, Frau Schattenstein, I'm convinced that this will be the best move this corporation has ever made. The port is sorely in need of a system that will bring all of it's shipping activities into one complete database. Your plan is the best I've ever seen. I know we will enjoy doing business together."

Saphrina stood and shook the hand he offered her. "Congratulations, Herr Becker. I know you will be swept away by the system my colleagues and I have designed for you. We can start working on the main servers in the morning."

"Fantastic," Herr Becker beamed. "And I sincerely appreciate you staying this late in the evening so that we could work out details." He turned to gesture to the two other men in the room. "Gentlemen, let's escort our new partner to her car. I'm sure we can celebrate this even more tomorrow." He faced Saphrina again. "Would a corporate lunch tomorrow afternoon be appropriate?"

"Absolutely," Saphrina beamed. "I appreciate your respect, Herr Becker. I have some family business that I need to attend to tonight. I would be glad to join you tomorrow."

* * *

><p>"Cynthia! Cynthia!" Trina's harsh whisper filled the dark void under her bed, but there was no movement and no response. "Crap," Trina sighed to herself. She'd been looking for Cynthia for the last hour - to no avail. The small cat had either found an excellent hiding place or else had decided to go back home.<p>

"A-CHOO!" a high-pitched squeak came from the hallway, followed by a sniffle. "Oh, my poor head." The complaint immediately preceded Trina's sister as she dramatically stumbled into the room. Trina seated herself on her bed and watched as the girl settled herself and pulled a blanket over her head.

"Did you find out what's wrong?" Trina asked the miserable afghan-covered lump.

Sniff. "No. The doctor's stupid."

"What did she say?"

"She said that I'm having an allergic reaction."

Trina felt her eyebrows shoot up. Oh no. "An allergic reaction to what?"

"To cat hair."

Trina forced herself not to groan. "Cat hair? But we don't have a cat," she lied.

"I know. That's why the doctor's stupid. Mom tried to explain that to her, but she insisted that there must be a cat nearby for me to be sneezing so much. But I stay away from the cats that wander around here, and our neighbors don't have any..." the stuffy-sounding voice dissolved into self-pitying sobs. "Will you hand me some tissue, please?"

Trina grabbed the box that was sitting on their shared nightstand, and tossed it onto her sister's covered form. She had to find Cynthia, and fast! This whole thing with her not speaking to Erika had to end tonight, otherwise, she'd be in a heap of trouble.

"Thanks," her sister sniffed, just before Trina closed the door behind her.

* * *

><p><em>Dain found himself standing in absolute darkness. Voices, both near and distant, echoed around him, and he knew he wasn't alone. A damp coolness filled the air, and a slow heavy breeze blew against his face. All of this felt horribly familiar. Composing himself quickly, Dain took a few steps forward, and found himself coming into ugly white artificial light. Standing only a few meters in front of him, a small circle of beings. They were surrounding something, and laughing evilly. They offered whatever was in the middle challenges of strength, magic and wit. The threw light pebbles meant to cut the flesh and inflict pain into the circle. And they mocked the answers of whoever or whatever they were surrounding.<em>

_The Black Moon. Dain knew it was so because of the nature of the darkness. It was complete until it was forced back by the brightest globes that could be constructed on the dark barren world, and even then, it lurked on the immediate edges of the light. There was no other place that he knew of where the darkness acted this way. And it was all due to the curse of Neo-Serenity. He felt his spirit sour at that thought. And the desire to destroy began to once again consume him.  
><em>

_CRACK! "AAAAUUGGGHH!"  
><em>

_Dain jumped at the sound of the whip crack, but the scream that followed it had, for some reason, pierced his soul. He moved closer to the circle. The figures standing there jeered and laughed, some taunting, others throwing in more pebbles as they issued more challenges. A small space between two of the torturers allowed Dain to move in and stand right behind the crowd. He peered inside.  
><em>

_A young man stood there, looking defiantly at his nemeses. His hands were bound in front of him, and his shirt and boots had been stripped from him, leaving him barefoot and bare-chested. A crimson line of blood gushed down the middle of his back, obviously inflicted by the whip. But his eyes were hard and shone fire, and his face didn't change expression when the small stones hit him. Then the whip cracked again.  
><em>

_Clenching his teeth, the young man fell to his knees, this time expecting the hell-flash of pain along his back. He kept the defiant expression on his face, and gathered his strength. He pushed himself off of his knees, back into a standing position, and then turned slowly to face each person in the circle.  
><em>

_"I will defeat each and every one of you," he hissed. "My powers go beyond what any of you could ever imagine, and you will all be destroyed. You are capable of beating me to the point of death, but you will never destroy my desire. You may have destroyed my life and everyone in it, but you will never destroy me. Never."  
><em>

_On the last word, the young man's eyes came into direct contact with Dain's. Their gaze locked, and immediately, Dain saw the pain and the determination that penetrated the young man to the core. And he could almost feel his physical pain.  
><em>

_A bright flash suddenly blinded Dain, and as his eyes re-adjusted, he found himself standing face-to-face with the young man that had been in the circle. The man's chest was covered with bright crimson lashes, his face and shoulders manifested the sharpness of the stones, and his body shook with rage. His eyes burned hatred into Dain's own, and he drew a shaky breath.  
><em>

_"How dare you," he accused. Dain was shocked. "How dare you do this to me. You left me to die while you went after your power, your darkness, your evil throne, and you never gave me a second thought."  
><em>

_Dain found that he was nervous standing before this man, but he couldn't figure out why. "Who are you?" he asked in return, his own voice sounding so much like the person in front of him.  
><em>

_"HA!" the man laughed, causing the heaviest drops of blood to move. "As if you didn't know," he growled. But when Dain didn't answer, he continued. "I am what you discarded, what you left behind after your father and his kingdom was destroyed. I am all that remains of the royal legacy that once was... but you abandoned me. You broke your oath to everyone around you, and abandoned the one thing that would link you to the past. Me."  
><em>

_Dain felt dizziness begin to overcome him as images began to flash through his mind. Images and memories... He pushed them aside and focused on the beaten man in front of him. "Who ARE you?" he demanded. "A brother? A friend? Tell me!"  
><em>

_The man stepped closer, so that he was nose-to-nose with Dain. He never blinked. "You sorry fool. You gave up everything in the name of power, and you can't even remember who you are." He glared fiercely into Dain's eyes. "I... AM... YOU..."_

Dain sat up in shock, sending the book that he'd been reading flying to the floor. His breath came in short quick gasps, like he'd been running for his life, and his whole being was covered in a cold sweat. Quickly, he wiped the salty drops from his eyes and realized that his hands were trembling violently. Whatever the last part of the dream had been, he was certain he'd just witnessed his own initiation into the Black Moon. And then the images and memories that had been threatening to overcome him in the dream suddenly came flooding back at full force. Everything. The death, the pain, the battles, everything...

In that terrible moment, Dain found himself completely overwhelmed by emotion, and he did the only thing that he could do...

* * *

><p>Claire walked silently down the large marble corridor, completely absorbed in her own thoughts. Absently, she toyed with the opal ring on her right middle finger while she walked, semi-conscious of the smooth texture of the stone and the intricate runes decorating the band. But her reverie was violently interrupted by a massive surge of energy. Startled, Claire gasped for breath as she reached out with her mind to find out what had caused such a huge emotional surge, and found the last thing she'd expected to find...<p>

"Dain! Are you alright! What's the matter!" Claire rushed toward the trembling sob-wracked body that was curled into a fetal position on the cot. "What happened!" She reached out to calm the distraught person before her, and found his body unnaturally cold. The roots of his hair had turned bright white. Shocked at the cold of his body and the sudden white sprouting from his scalp, Claire fell to her knees beside the cot.

"It- can't- be," Dain managed to stutter.

"What can't be?" Claire pressed. She had to know what had happened before she could help him. Otherwise...

"I- didn't-... I- couldn't-" his words broke off as another round of violent sobs overcame him.

"Dain, what happened?" Claire felt herself coming close to panic - something that hadn't happened in a very long time.

"A dream - terrible dream."

The white at the roots of his hair was slightly longer. Whatever had happened in the dream had been enough to terrify him past the point of reason.

Claire gently rested her left hand on his forehead and her right hand on his shoulder. Forcing calm and concentration around her own panic, she sent Dain's tortured mind into a deep dreamless sleep. But when she opened her eyes, his body was still trembling, cold and unable to relax. She had to do something fast...

* * *

><p>Rax slumped comfortably on the worn-out mattress, listening to the quiet buzz of the radio. Since he didn't have access to a television in this apartment, he had to make do with the ancient box he'd found stashed in a forgotten corner. He had been waiting most of the day for Saphrina to get back, and the two of them would be going out that night to check on the sentinels, making sure everything was ready. He smiled to himself with grim satisfaction. As long as he acted like he was playing into her hands, she was playing into his. And as soon as everything was set with the port computer systems, Saphrina would no longer have to be burdened with such menial tasks... or anything at all for that matter. "Treatment" for mental instabilities on the Black Moon was not something that people returned from, and Saphrina was beginning to show symptoms of instability. Rax glanced at the clock. Of course, who didn't meet at least one or two requirements at some point or another? The trick would be in exploiting those "symptoms" and making her into a real case. But not before he had his way with a few things first.<p>

Rax's reverie was rudely interrupted by a sharp break in the music on the radio. The announcer's voice came on with a very urgent tone. Something was terrorizing a neighborhood near the port area, and officials had been called in to stop it. But so far, it had done several thousands of marks worth of damage.

Rax sprang from his dusty retreat and ran to the mirrors lined up in the main room of the ancient home. One of the mirrors glowed a sickly red, and with a word from Rax, the image of a sentinel was projected to him. The sentinel was smashing windows and glass, reaching for lights and searching for... something. And with each light it found, it would bellow in rage and take off again. Swearing elegantly, Rax dashed down the narrow staircase and out the front door, hoping that he might be able to stop the sentinel before Saphrina found out. Otherwise, this would be a major setback to his just-budding plan.

* * *

><p>Trina pulled her light jacket a little closer around her as she ran toward the lake near her home. Cynthia had been doing a lot of tree climbing during her "visit" over the last few days, and Trina wondered if maybe she'd gotten stuck somehow. Small branches grabbed at her as she made her way down the small path to the moonlit beach, but something told her that Cynthia wasn't going to be found there. Feeling a faint glimmer of hopelessness, Trina reached up and touched her right earring - something she hadn't done for a few days now.<p>

"Cynthia," she whispered loudly. "Can you hear me? Cynthia!"

A faint static sound was the answer Trina received, and she stopped dead in her tracks on the beach. "Cynthia, is that you?"

"Trina, come quickly. There's a problem," Cynthia's voice was very quiet and very calm. Immediately Trina knew that there was more than a "problem."

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Please, keep your voice low," Cynthia replied. "There's some kind of... creature - it doesn't look human - breaking windows and screaming at people. It seems to be looking for something."

"Where are you?" Trina hardly dared to breathe.

"Junggesellenstrasse." (pronounced: YOONG-geh-zellen-shtrass-eh)

Trina paused. "But that's way over by-"

"The harbor, yes, I know," Cynthia interrupted her. "Just get over here as fast as you can!"

"Should I call the others?" But the communication had been cut off. Trina felt herself grow pale at the thought of facing... whatever it might be, alone.

"Erika, Karin... can you hear me?" Trina waited for an answer, her finger hovering close to her earring. "Erika, Karin... hello?"

"Trina! This is Erika. What's going on?"

"Oh thank God," Trina breathed. "Erika you have to get over here now. Cynthia's in trouble."

"Where is she?" Erika's voice came, filled with alarm.

"She's over by the harbor, on a small road called Junggesellenstrasse."

"What's she doing way over there!"

"I don't know!" Trina cried, beginning to panic. "But I can't do this alone!"

"Okay, okay! You get over there as fast as you can! I'm on my way!"

Throwing all caution to the wind, Trina stood in the middle of the narrow beach and punched her right hand out in front of her.

"NEUTRON STAR POWER!"

* * *

><p>"QUASAR LIGHT POWER!"<p>

Erika felt the fast warmth of the white light bend and curl around her body, filling her with resolve. An instant later, she was sprinting as hard as she could toward the opposite end of town.

"Oh, that I could fly," she murmured to herself as she raced through the city streets. But she knew that without one of the other girls, the Starlight Teleport wouldn't work. Willing her legs to pump even faster, she charged through the sleepy twilight city, hoping that she'd make it before it was too late...

* * *

><p>Saphrina watched as the three men drove away from the building, each going their own way. She had waited outside until she was sure they were leaving. There was no reason for her to go back to her "home." Rax was most likely asleep anyway, and she wanted to make sure that all was going well with the sentinels by herself. Perhaps one could call it "fine-tuning." She smiled to herself as the last pair of red taillights turned out onto the main road. So far, everything was going exactly as she planned it. No interference - how could there be? These men trusted her. No unexpected surprises, not a single glitch-<p>

The harsh sound of police sirens suddenly pierced the dark silence around her, and Saphrina watched with interest as the two cars sped down a nearby street. _Lucky __them,_ she smirked to herself. _At __least __they'll __have __an __interesting __night._ The distant sound of shattering glass floated to her over the slight evening breeze, and a gunshot echoed through the close buildings. A strong curiosity then settled itself in Saphrina's thoughts, and almost unknowingly, she found herself walking in the direction of the noise. What could it hurt? She had the whole night ahead of her anyway...

* * *

><p>The warm water lapped quietly inside the large cocoon-like bag. Claire adjusted the temperature to a cooler, more comfortable level, and glanced up at Dain's head poking out of the top. His hair was now dry, but the white had managed to crawl half-way up, giving him a strangely softer appearance. Luckily, the infirmary supplies had been stored in a closet not far from the room Dain was staying in, and Claire had been able to pull the necessary supplies without leaving him for a long period of time.<p>

The prone figure stirred lightly as Claire propped his head with a thick pillow. She had finally been able to stop his trembling, and now she waited for him to wake up. There were two questions burning in her mind even more than the one about his past. And that was the question of the book he'd been reading. Where had he found it, and why that particular one?

"What...?"

Dain's sleepy voice broke Claire's thoughts. She looked up to see the man gazing with extreme confusion at his "blanket."

"How do you feel?" she asked, glancing at the temperature gauge.

Dain looked up at her with his unusual eyes. "Fine," he replied, after a brief pause. "What is this?"

Claire smiled. "It's a water cocoon... sort of. The warm water helps to restore your body's core temperature," she explained.

"Was I cold?" Dain raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you remember? You were going on and on about some dream you'd had. You were shaking pretty hard, and your body was ice cold- you don't remember, do you?"  
>Dain rested his head against the pillow again as he thought back over the last few hours. And then it all came flooding back to him. But this time, he was slightly more prepared. He drew a deep breath.<p>

"Claire, where are we? And please... tell me the truth."

"What does this have to do with-?"

"NO! Please," Dain interrupted. "I think I've finally found my earliest memory. And it's not something I'm proud of. Please. Tell me."

Claire stepped backward, and glanced around the room. The chair that she had been using a few days before rested next to the door. Patiently, she walked over, picked up the chair, and brought it back to the bed. Dain's eyes followed her every movement.

She sat down, and found herself locking gazes with the violet eyes in front of her. Violet eyes that, for some reason, no longer felt cold and dark. The small silver ring in his now-white left eyebrow sparkled dimly. Claire drew a deep breath...

* * *

><p>A new crash of glass led Rax around the nearest corner, and filling him with dread. The sight before him was something he'd vowed wouldn't happen, and now it was happening. The sentinel was standing at the window of a jewelry store, glass all around, holding a broken light bulb in it's hands. It's arms and hands were covered with thick black blood. For whatever reason, the being had awakened too early, and now it was on the quest it had been programmed for - find and destroy every source of light until it found the eternal light... and destroyed that too. Rax groaned.<p>

"Sentinel, RETREAT!" he called into the narrow street. Residents of the neighborhood were poking their heads out of windows and doors, watching the action, and the police had surrounded the monster. All eyes turned to him when they heard his command. The dark being howled in rage, clutching the broken glass in it's hands even tighter. If it sensed any kind of pain, then it wasn't showing it. But Rax had been careful to not let emotions play a significant part of the youma's programming. "SENTINEL!" Rax called, summoning a force of power to his hands. "RETREAT!" He released the black energy toward the creature, fully expecting it to either disappear or be reduced to dust. But neither happened. Instead, the creature bellowed again, and Rax could swear that it was larger than it had been.

"You fool," a female voice hissed behind him. Rax felt his body grow numb with shock. "You of all people should know that these sentinels destroy light and feed on darkness. Did you honestly think that would hurt it?" Saphrina stepped boldly in front of Rax, her blue-gray eyes on fire, and her business suit replaced by a tight, rather small, leather outfit.

Rax immediately fell to one knee, hoping that some show of humility might lessen her wrath. His plan was the last thing on his mind at the moment, because he knew his own survival was hanging in the balance. That, and those high heels on her boots... "Forgive me, mistress. I had no-"

His plea was interrupted by the toe of Saphrina's boot coming in contact with his jaw. "Imbecile!" she shouted, yanking Rax's green ponytail, and head, off the ground. "This IS your fault! You created these beings, and now one has failed! What are you going to do about it!"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" A masculine voice called behind her. Saphrina turned to find several of the police surrounding her, guns drawn. The sentinel was all but forgotten for the moment.

A low, sinister laugh began, and Saphrina turned to face the force with an evil grin. "Good evening, gentlemen," she sneered. "Is something wrong?"

"Are you the cause of this... this... thing?" one of the officers asked.

"What a silly question," Saphrina flipped a piece of hair back, and placed a hand on one of her hips, posing lightly. She knew the men in the group would look.

"What's that supposed to mean?" a female officer snapped.

Saphrina relished the attention. She had so many people in her power... "It means that I am not responsible for that creature."

"And why should we trust you?"

Rax pulled himself to a sitting position, gingerly touching the cut along his jawbone. He knew he was forgotten for the moment. Slowly, in the shadows behind Saphrina, he pulled himself to a standing position, and began to draw energy from the onlookers. It was energy that he would need to help himself get out of there.

"Because I could do so much better than that," Saphrina bragged, running a leather clad hand through her dark hair. "Would you like to see?" Her question was answered with several clicks of guns being cocked. She laughed again.

The tense silence of the scene was abruptly broken by the screeching of tires on the cobblestone road nearby. Doors slamming, the sound of several people running, and voices quickly flooded into the small street. And before anyone could react, bright lights were flooded everywhere, camera lenses were pointing at the group of police officers, and news reporters were introducing the hot breaking story.

Saphrina laughed loudly, cherishing the spotlight.

The sentinel went nuts.

* * *

><p>Erika spared only the barest second to glance at her surroundings. To her right, one of the small streams from the lake flowed beneath a bridge she was about to cross, and just ahead of her, she could see the lights of the harbor beginning to glow above the buildings of the city. She was almost there. She pushed herself even harder.<p>

* * *

><p>Trina stood back around the corner, just across from where the news crews had rushed in. Thankfully, they hadn't spotted her. Cynthia stood at her feet, peeking around the corner with her back arched. Trina was still breathing hard from running.<p>

"What are we going to do Cynthia?" Trina whispered harshly.

"You have to go out there and fight," Cynthia replied, looking deadly serious.

Trina stepped back. "But- what about- what about Erika? She's on her way."

"There's no time!" Cynthia hissed. "That monster is going to start hurting people if something isn't done. And it doesn't look like it's owners are about to stop it!"

"By myself?" Trina felt herself coming close to tears.

"Sailor Neutron! Get out there now!" Cynthia reared up on her hind legs, looking anything but threatening, with the exception of her bared claws. She took a good swipe at Trina's bare knee.

"Okay okay!" Trina protested, dodging the claws. Gathering what little courage she felt she had, she walked boldly out into the lights of the frightened news crews, who were trying to film the creature while dodging it at the same time.

"STOP!" she cried, pointing at the creature. "I am Sailor Neutron, protector of the legendary Myantea (my-ANN-tee-uh)! As long as my past home remains a myth, I will fight for the safety of the Earth! With the power of the neutron star, I'll defeat you!" The silence following Trina's speech was filled with the sound of TV camera's rolling, and all directed right at her. The sentinel was slightly confused, trying to decide which light to go after next, but not paying any attention to her. "Oh, sheisst," Trina swore quietly. In the background, she heard the lady in leather snicker.

"Did she just give a speech?" one of the reporters asked. But before anyone could answer, the sentinel lunged toward one of the larger camera's, grabbing for the light and knocking the cameraman over. The camera fell to the ground and broke into a thousand pieces, and the monster howled as it was deprived of it's prize.

Trina felt her body freeze, but knew that she was the only one who might stop it. Forcing herself to concentrate, she clasped her hands together. "Neutron Matter," she started, pulling her hands apart to reveal the small gray ball of matter. "SMASH!" With all her strength, she hurled the small object at the creature. It impacted with the lower half of the creature's back, tearing through it and leaving a gaping hole.

Black blood pooled around the sentinel's feet as is crumpled to the ground, screaming in confusion, not knowing what was happening to it or why. "SMASH!" Another ball of matter struck the sentinel's neck, decapitating it and spilling even more black blood onto the cobblestone.

The news reporters were all jabbering excitedly as they watched the terror die a gruesome death at the hands of this young girl in front of them.

But all Trina felt was sick.

* * *

><p>Karin walked into her house, feeling quite refreshed now that she'd been able to run. Her mind felt clear, and her body felt pure. It was a very good time to get back to studying.<p>

"Karin, come here," her mother called from the small front room. "You have to see this."

Karin walked in to find her mother captivated by the television. The picture on the screen showed a group of police officers, a large group of news reporters, and...

"TRINA!" Karin shouted, before she realized it.

"Who?" her mother asked. "Is that girl someone you know?"

Karin let her eyes linger on the scene, afraid of looking her mother in the face. She waited a few seconds, and then shook her head as another view of Sailor Neutron came on.

"No. Strange, though. She looks a lot like Trina." She shrugged, trying to downplay her outburst even more.

"She gave an impressive speech," her mother grinned.

"Huh?" Karin glanced at her parent.

"She called herself Sailor something-or-other, and said something about defending a myth and the Earth. Seems like a pretty determined girl, if you ask me."

"She said that?" Karin felt her eyes bug out.

"Yeah. Come sit down," her mother patted the couch cushion next to her. "This is really fascinating."

The picture panned down to reveal a gruesome sight - black blood, a headless body, and a lot of broken glass. Karin wrinkled her nose.

"Um, I think I'm going to finish studying," she stated, turning away in disgust.

Her mom twisted her face in disgust too. "Yeah, that's pretty bad. I don't blame you."

Karin smiled and left, heading as fast as she could (without looking suspicious) to her room. It was time to pull out the communicator again.

"Cynthia! Cynthia! Come in! Can you hear me?" Karin held the jewel of her necklace close to her mouth, hoping that the cat could hear her above whatever commotion was going on nearby.

"Karin! Is that you?" Cynthia answered. "You have to get over here right away!"

Karin dropped the necklace jewel and let it dangle around her neck. She then picked up the ring that had been sitting on her nightstand for the last few days. "I'm on my way, Cynthia. Do you think I'll make it in time, though?"

"That depends. How fast can you run?"

Karin paused for a split second, gathering her resolve. "I'm coming!" She opened her bedroom window and looked to the street below. Although her room was on the second story, the street behind her house rose up in a sharp incline just below her window. She jumped.

"PULSAR FLASH POWER!"


	13. Episode 13: Failure

"What is she doing?" Saphrina raged, as she watched the senshi girl destroy one of her sentinels. "Why can she do that? RAX!"

"I don't know!" Rax shouted into Saphrina's ear.

Saphrina spun around, partly out of shock, and partly out of rage. She hadn't noticed him get up and stand behind her, but she wasn't about to take any of his insolence either. Before Rax knew what was happening, the smart smack of leather echoed in the narrow street, and a bright red handprint was forming on his cheek. He stumbled back, working his very bruised and injured jaw.

Saphrina was at a loss for words. Her fury was overwhelming her, and her determination was quickly hardening into a murderous rage. And it was all Rax's fault. She felt her hands clench into fists, and dark power begin to rush to her fingertips. Someone would die at her hands tonight.

* * *

><p>The sentinel was no longer moving, but the thick black puddle that surrounded it was still growing. Trina felt her stomach start to heave. Suddenly wanting nothing but privacy, she looked up at the crowd around her. The reporters were chattering noisily into the cameras, and many of the cameras kept pointing in her direction. The one reporter who no longer had a camera to talk to was still chattering into her microphone. At that same moment, Trina's knees gave out, and she fell to the ground, heaving the remains of her supper.<p>

"Oh, God, look at her!" the camera-less man cried. "Are you alright?" He crouched down next to the sobbing girl, placing a hand on her back. "Let's get you away from this awful mess." Gently, he helped Trina stand up and walk slowly over to the front steps of a building. As soon as she was seated, Trina leaned over with her head between her knees, trying to compose herself somehow, and hoping she wouldn't faint...

"Hey, are you all right?" the cameraman persisted.

Trina looked up at him, eyes watering, and tried to force a smile. It was the most she could do at the moment. Out in the street, the attention of the cameras quickly shifted as the police officers re-focused their attention on Saphrina.

"STOP RIGHT NOW!" the female officer screamed. Saphrina had begun stalking forward, slowly but with sheer menace in her stride. At her hands, a faint blue glow began to show. "STOP!" the officer repeated, cocking her gun for the second time in as many minutes. One by one, the other officers also re-cocked their guns, aiming directly at the woman.

Saphrina silently raged, and Trina, noticing the blue glow, felt a wash of adrenaline course through her...

* * *

><p>Karin was acutely aware of her feet pounding the cobblestone street. Even though her boots were usually decent for running in (as she'd discovered during her recent adventures), the ground felt particularly hard and uneven tonight - most likely due to the fact that she had already been running twice. Her breathing was also unusually ragged, and the muscles in her legs screamed in protest at having to run even farther than they were used to during any one day. She bent into the wind even more, pushing herself to go faster, only vaguely aware that the cityscape around her was flying by.<p>

* * *

><p>Erika rounded a corner and was finally rewarded with bright light pouring from the end of a nearby side street. That had to be where the action was taking place. A small white object stood just outside the small street, watching the scene at a safe distance. Erika slowed herself down just as she reached the corner.<p>

"Erika," Cynthia approached her, eyes as round as fishbowls. "You have to get in there now! Trina's down!"

Erika's panting prevented her from replying, so she looked into the street. Black goo oozed heavily from some kind of monster, and Trina had been pulled back onto some stairs. She looked deathly pale. A few of the press corps were around her - some trying to help, others asking questions that Trina was ignoring, and all the while, the cameras kept rolling. Off in the background, Erika could see two shady figures surrounded by several police officers. She felt her anger rise at the site of the two figures, and instinctively she knew exactly who was standing back there - the one person who had managed to come between herself and Karin. Dain. Immediately, anger flooded through her, and she felt herself begin to move into the narrow street automatically.

"No," Trina breathed, seeing the blue glow grow even more intense. "NO!" she cried, and pulled herself free of the small group around her. Something about the intensity in the evil woman's eyes told her that the next few seconds would not be pretty. Leaping from the steps, Sailor Neutron soared for a few meters, landing between Saphrina and the officers in a crouch. "You can't do this!" she demanded.

Saphrina barely glanced at the small senshi in front of her. "Watch me." Her hands came up in front of her, sparks of violet lightning jumping between them. The police officers all stepped back instinctively.

"NNNOOOO!" Trina screamed, as she watched the energy leap out and embrace the female officer, sending her into horrific convulsions. And in mere moments, the woman was nothing more than a pile of fine ash. Turning, she heard the words and felt herself run through the actions. "Neutron Matter..."

Erika saw Trina leap from the steps, saw her try to confront the leather-clad woman, and saw the result. Immediately, she broke into a run with only one objective. Get rid of them now. Dain was surely there as well, and two against two would be much more fair than Trina alone. She leaped into the air, remembering a kick that she'd learned only a few weeks earlier, and felt herself sail toward the adversary...

"SMASH!" Trina sent the extremely dense ball hurling as fast and as hard as she could, at virtually point-blank range, and watched in astonishment as the ball never hit the woman. Instead, a purple-booted foot hit her squarely in the side of the head, knocking her out of the way and unconscious all at once. A slow-motion second later, Erika landed neatly, back to Trina, and spun.

"QUASAR!" Trina screamed, feeling the sound ravage her throat. Her energy and adrenaline spent, Trina collapsed into a crying heap, trying desperately to come to terms with all that had just happened. The death of the police officer, facing such danger eye to eye, coming so close to actually killing someone, and actually killing something... her sobs were anything but quiet.

* * *

><p>Karin's lungs burned in protest from being pushed so hard during the last 24 hours. Her legs were beginning to feel like jelly, and the ground in front of her looked more treacherous by the second. She pushed harder. The lights of the harbor were beginning to glow now above the low skyline, and she could feel the presence of the other two pulling her closer.<p>

"AAAAAARRRRRRRR!" The scream echoed through the cobblestone streets around her, and Karin's heart skipped a beat. As strange as it was, she knew that had been one of her teammates...

* * *

><p>Erika watched incredulously as Trina collapsed to the ground. In a mere instant, she knew exactly what had happened, and it was all her fault. So close. So terrifyingly close. And she'd ruined it. Had she kept herself in check for only a second longer, this whole stupid mess would be over with, and they could be getting back to living normal lives. But now...<p>

"No," she whispered in shock. "This isn't happening. I did not just do this!" her voice ended in a shout. The group of news reporters and cameramen raced toward the group of officers and the two girls, shouting questions at her and filming the woman, the ash, and the stricken police force. In the next instant, Erika found herself and Trina surrounded by bright lights, microphones being thrust at her, and a million questions being shouted at once. And it was all a huge numb blur as she felt hot tears of frustration and failure begin to spill down her cheeks. "This... isn't... happening..." she gasped between sobs.

* * *

><p>Claire sat playing with her fingers absently. The whole of Dain's confession had completely shocked her, and now her suspicions were confirmed. Here, sitting in front of her, was-<p>

"You could at least say something," Dain's voice interrupted her shocked silence.

Claire jumped and looked up, seeing the man in front of her again. His hair, with the exception of the very tips, was now completely white. It had seemed that it bleached itself even more as he related the dream and his new-found memories to her. And she could definitely see why. A paranoid prickle at her own scalp made her wonder if her own hair was turning white.

"Um..." she hesitated and gave a nervous laugh. "What to say? I... I..." words failed her completely. "I'm sorry?"

Dain grunted a sour laugh. "_You're_ sorry, huh?" He grimaced. "Claire, I really don't think you know the half of it." His violet eyes squinted at her, daring her to relate, when she quite obviously couldn't.

She spread her hands in defeat. "Well, what else can I say?"

Dain shifted on his bed, turning to face her more directly. "How about explaining this whole place to me in detail now." Claire looked down again and began playing with her fingers. "All I've ever managed to get from you is that it's a sanctuary. Well, now you have my side of the story. Let's hear yours."

She watched as another shiver, this time much more faint, sent the skin on his arms into goosebumps, and then shook herself. "Well, fair is fair, I suppose." Dain nodded slowly in agreement. "And now that I know... what you've told me, I suppose I at least owe you that." He nodded again. "Okay," she breathed, stood, fumbled with her chair, and sat again. "Okay."

"This, as I have said, is a sanctuary. It was created here in the Orion Nebula to function as a place of healing, solitude and," she swallowed, "recommitment. It was constructed by His Highness King Tyjor," she paused again, glancing at his glittering eyes, "as a retreat... for his son."

Dain absorbed this information for a few moments, then looked at her again. "And you? What's you're position here?"

"I am the guardian of the sanctuary and the magnificent birthplace of stars."

"A senshi?"

Claire felt her face flush. "Only when needed."

"So..." Dain began, running his fingers through his hair. "King Tyjor... my father?" his direct gaze into Claire's eyes told him the truth as she nodded. "Then... this is my sanctuary, built by my father, and never actually used until recently."

Claire nodded, recalling the grief she and countless others had experienced upon hearing that their King's son and heir had betrayed them.

"I suppose, then, that you're expecting me to pick up where he left off," Dain grumbled, his tone not quite certain on whether he'd hate that, or if he wanted it.

"Actually, this is all that's left of your father's kingdom," Claire confessed. "In the centuries that have passed, all the worlds have formed other alliances, died, been destroyed, or drawn into seclusion. This sanctuary is, quite literally, all that's left."

Dain felt the truth of her words settle heavily in his mind, and extremely faint memories bubbled up through the turmoil there. Memories of sparring, studying, talking, laughing... a past so faint and so far behind him now that it didn't even seem a part of him. And yet it was. "So, what do I do now?" he asked.

"That," Claire leaned forward, "is completely up to you. Strange to think that everything you were after with the Black Moon are things, positions, powers you already had, isn't it?"

Dain shook his head, recalling with distaste, and yet a faint sweetness, the reasons he'd decided to join them. "No... not really." Claire looked at him incredulously. "I don't know how I could explain it to you," he started. "Obviously my memories were buried and I was manipulated, but when I was presented with the actual physical powers, the abilities, and the bitter passion of the Black Moon... and such complete control over everything around me... it's an absolutely addicting feeling-" he broke off as he noticed Claire's expression growing more horrified with each word.

"It's still very much a part of you, isn't it?" Claire whispered.

Dain stared at her hard, wanting her to know exactly how honest he was being with her. "More than anything else ever has been. It 's been all I've known for... however long. Living as long as several lifetimes... it's who I am. I don't know how easily I can give that up."

Claire nodded, feeling her new hopes crush under the weight of his confession. She stood up from the chair and gathered her robes. "I... have some things that I need to attend to." She turned and strode quickly toward the door, straining to hear an apology, a plea for her not to go... Instead, the door shut behind her.

* * *

><p>Karin rounded the last corner, saw Cynthia, and flew into the narrow street. The group of news reporters she'd seen on television were now huddled toward one end, along with police officers, and every person that lived on the street was now poking his or her head out a window. "Quasar! Neutron!" she called, racing toward the crowd. Several reporters and officers turned at her cry, but Karin never made it to them. Instead, she saw a dark flash next to her, something green, and felt herself trip. The momentum of her sprint sent her sailing toward the crowd, and the instant sensation of doomed flight sickened her. A surprised cry went up from the group, and the people closest to her made a vain effort to rush forward and catch her, but the ground reached her first. In the next instant, Karin heard the sickening slap of flesh against stone, accompanied by several cracks and pops from... somewhere, then everything seemed quiet until the pain roared through her. She gasped in shock and immediately regretted it as the pain reinforced itself sharply around her right rib and arm.<p>

A few steps back, where he had appeared just at the right moment, Rax grinned widely at the scene. His timing had been perfect. He'd recognized this girl just as she came around the corner, and had known that if he didn't stop her, things might end up a lot differently - and even more against his favor - if she was successful. But everything now seemed to be going pretty well, despite the sentinel's short-circuiting. Forcing himself to look away from his triumph, he watched as the news reporters, now all completely confused by the action, turned every which way, trying to ask every possible question. The police officers were still stunned, although three of them had an unconscious Saphrina bound by handcuffs. The fools. Tonight, he decided, would be the night he redeemed himself with her. Another dark grin spread across his features.

* * *

><p>Claire walked slowly, numbly down the long corridor toward her own quarters. The entire revelation from Dain had been everything she'd wanted to hear, and everything she didn't want to hear. How in the universe, especially after all he'd just experienced and explained, could he still say that the Black Moon was a part of him! Here was a man who, hundreds of years before, had unknowingly captured her heart. The news that he had betrayed everyone had just about destroyed her. She'd built her life around him, trained for him, volunteered to defend him... and then had sat out the next millennium or so waiting. Thankfully it had mostly been in a stasis sleep, otherwise she'd probably have gone insane. The most bitter knowledge was that the Black Moon didn't even exist in the present yet! Dain, the King and she had been the only ones who knew the truth behind the horrific attacks against the kingdom, but when they had kidnapped him... Claire made a valiant effort to push the memory aside, not wanting to dwell on those events again, and stepped into her quarters. The room was spacious enough to be uncramped, and propped in one corner, a star-topped staff glowed faintly.<p>

"What?" Claire asked aloud, walking toward the instrument. A fine layer of dust covered it from top to bottom, a consequence of the long years of disuse. She ran a finger across the body of the star, removing the dust...

_"...currently __being __trained __as __soldiers __and __guardians. __They've __been __wanting __to __meet __you __for __some time __now, __to __test __their __skills __and __techniques, __and __mostly __because __of __how __much __my __daughter __has __told __them __about __you."  
><em>

_Claire __bowed __respectfully __to __Queen __Serenity, __and __smiled __warmly __as __the __three __young __women __were __shown __into __the __throne __room. __She'd __heard __that __Serenity __was __training __three __new __star __guardians. __She, __herself, __had __been __trained __by __the __elite __planet __guardians __that __were __the __princess' __personal __protectors, __and __had __always __wondered __if __there __were __to __be __others...  
><em>

_"...just __wanting __to __know __why __you __have __a __huge __staff, __and __we __have... __well, __nothing __yet." __The __curious __glint __in __the __pulsar __orphan's __eyes __brought __a __laugh __from __Claire, __and __she __turned __the __staff __so __that __the __star __spun.  
><em>

_"I __don't __know, __actually. __I __think __it __has __something __to __do __with __our __positions __and __our __abilities. __This __seems __to __magnify __my __attacks __by __huge __amounts, __and __if __I __ever __tried __to __wield __as __much __power __as __this __thing __does, __I'd __probably __burn __myself __right __out."  
><em>

_"What __else __does __it __do?" __This __from __the __actual __princess __of __the __group, __who __had __an __amazing __braid __sweeping __her __knees..._

"Oh no..." Claire gasped, jerking herself from her reverie.

* * *

><p>Karin tried to pull herself to a sitting position, and collapsed back to the cold cobblestone. The pain through her right side and right arm was just too much. In the distance, she was vaguely aware of an emergency siren.<p>

"We have to get her help, now!" The same man that had helped Trina aside earlier was now crouched over Karin, trying to keep her still.

"It's coming! What else do you want us to do?" someone protested.

"Get something to cover her with! It's not exactly warm out here!" A moment later, a warm trenchcoat, smelling of women's perfume, was placed over her. Karin groaned in agony.

Rax watched with interest from the shadows as the frenzied group tried to help these three strange girls in short-skirted sailor outfits. They were about as effective as flies stuck in honey, for all the good they were doing, and none, save the three dazed police officers, were watching Saphrina. It was time. He stepped out from the shadows, and strode confidently toward the now-stirring woman. The confusion was such that no one seemed to notice, much less care, about where he was going. In a few short moments, he was crouched down next to Saphrina and examining the prominent bruise on her cheek and ear.

"YOU!"

Rax jumped at the voice he immediately knew was directed at him, and looked up, scowling. "What?" he sneered in return.

Sailor Quasar stepped away from the chattering reporters, and met him glare for glare. Rax felt the slightest of goosebumps prickle his arms from the cold hatred in her tear-red eyes.

"I recognize you." Rax grinned up at her. "You're that loser from the dance club. You're behind this, aren't you?" she spat.

He laughed. "What will you do if I say yes?"

Quasar clenched her fists and stood before him, trembling with rage. "What _shouldn't_ I do if you say yes?"

The police officers that had handcuffed Saphrina turned at the sound of Quasar's voice, hands ready to reach for guns. Behind them, Sailor Neutron had finally quieted her sobs, and now watched.

"Hey! Step away from her!" one of the officers demanded.

Rax sneered at all of them. "Don't you have other, more serious matters to attend to?"

"Not at the moment," Quasar replied, ice cold. The jewel on her tiara began to glow a hot white.

"Stop." A sharp clack reverberated through the narrow street. Every person that had been chattering, filming, helping or watching focused their attention to yet another woman in a yellow sailor suit. But she was different looking, somehow.

"Sailor Quasar, control yourself. This is not the time."

Erika felt her mouth drop open in disbelief, and more rage flooded through her. How many times was she supposed to fail tonight! "Says who!" she shouted.

At her feet, Rax laughed to himself, but loudly enough for those near to hear it.

"I do. It's time for this to end tonight."

"NO!" Erika cried. "Not when I'm this close!" She ripped the tiara from her forehead, and felt the white-hot energy course from her body to the jewel.

"Sailor Quasar..." the woman said sternly.

"QUASAR ENERGY INCINERATE!" A white hot glow burst from the jewel on her tiara, followed by several deafening shots. But instead of consuming and burning the two figures in front of her, it turned and grew to engulf her, Trina and Karin all at once. And everything faded to white.

* * *

><p>Dain sat on the cot, looking at his hands. Inside his heart and mind, a war raged between two people - one from aeons past, the other his present self... or was it? Everything he had told Claire was true. Everything. Even the part about not knowing if he wanted to give it up. But Claire's last question had hit something inside that seemed to howl when he thought of it. <em>"...strange <em>_to __think __that __everything __you __were __after __with __the __Black __Moon __are __things, __positions, __powers __you __already __had, __isn't __it?"_ That question, alone, was harrowing. Now that he had stepped away from it, now that he remembered his past, it was becoming extremely difficult to hold on to the reasons he'd had for centuries. The power, the control...

"Dear God, what have I done?" he whispered. "Why? Why did I do this?" He pushed his mind even deeper, farther back into the memories, past the Black Moon initiation, past the humility, the beatings...

_ "I __do __not __bargain __with __criminals, __I __hang __them," __his __father's __strong __voice __cast __a __dead __silence __over __the __small __assembly __in __the __room. __Dain, __standing __quietly __proud __at __his __father's __shoulder, __watched __the __expressions __of __the __"delegates" __sour. __They __had __come __petitioning __for __an __alliance __- __strangers __who __had __never __been __known __of __before, __and __who __now __clearly __wanted __an __impressive __show __of __force __with __his __father __at __their __side.  
><em>

_A __woman __stood __tall __on __the __other __side __of __the __king, __also __watching __the __scene. __She __had __been __the __one __who __uncovered __the __delegation's __real __purpose, __and __she __knew __as __well __as __they __what __ultimate __price __an __alliance __would __bring.  
><em>

_"Your __actions __and __flattery __were __truly __convincing... __at __first," __the __king __paused, __letting __the __implications __sink __in. __"But __the __reason __they __failed __is __because __you've __schemed __all __along __to __manipulate __us __against __one __of __our __foremost __allies. __Did __you __honestly __think __I __wouldn't __notice?" __It __was __true... __the __king __had __come __to __Dain __in __a __frenzy __one __evening, __after __the __delegation __had __laid __the __flattery __and __compliments __on __quite __thick. __He __had __confided __deeply __in __his __son __about __his __suspicions, __and __Dain __had __sent __his __personal __guard, __that __same __woman, __out __to __discover __what __was __truly __going __on. __What __she __had __uncovered __had __been __horrific._

_The expression of the man who stood in front twisted into one of cold fury at the king's accusations, and his eyes seemed to flash. "A terrible loss, your highness," the man sneered. "We were so hoping to have you as allies to our cause, to help you see the truth of what is..." he paused, smiling wickedly, "...and what's to come." With the last few words, a black, inverted crescent appeared on his forehead, and before either Dain or the woman could move, the king was staring down the point of what looked like a sword of ice._

_"NO!" Dain roared, grabbing for his own sword at his side._

_"Ah, ah," the man waved a condescending finger in front of his nose. "My dear boy..." Dain fumed. He was anything but a boy. "You stand at an important crossroads. You see, your father has refused to see the truth and desperation of our cause. He knows too much to be left... unattended. For this reason, he must come with us."_

_"You can't take him. I won't let you." Dain saw his father glance in his direction, a desperate look in his eyes._

_The man threw back his head and laughed wildly. "And exactly how do you think you can stop me?" The room shifted, melted away, leaving all in attendance and the four at the throne on a black barren plain. The stars overhead looked sickly, and the cold wind was stale. "Is this how you would like your world to look? Your haven of stars? Your pantheon? Then by all means, please, make your feeble attempt to rescue your father."_

_Dain wilted. The beauty of their kingdom was his father's ultimate pride, and his father was Dain's ultimate pride. A dour and sickening thought crossed his mind, one that he knew would be filth to utter... but what else could he do?_

_"Take me," he offered, sheathing his sword, and swallowing the bile that jumped into his throat. The woman shifted, stiffening even more, and looking like a coil ready to spring._

_"Why?" the man smirked. "How honorable of you to offer yourself in you father's place. But, really, why should that interest me? You're not the one with the power."_

_The words his Dain like a punch to the gut, but his mind raced. "Because I am his son. What other bargaining tool will you ever find more effective?" The king winced at his son's words, cold sweat beginning to drip from his forehead._

_"No, Dain-" he began, but was cut off by the pressure of the sword blade at his throat._

_The man grinned coldly. "I like the way you think, boy." He lowered the sword, and made a slight move toward Dain. "But you're a fool to think that I can be swayed so easily!" The man lunged with the sword, toward his father's throat once again, the very tip of the blade finding a home in his neck only barely before being swatted away with a clang. The shallow cut on the king's neck began to drip in the instant before the man howled in pain, grasping his bruised hand. Opposite Dain, Sailor Nebula brandished the Astral Staff, and assumed a defensive pose. Dain re-drew his sword, and felt the beginning of a long forbidden secret surge through him._

_"You're a fool to think that I won't die before you take my father," Dain growled._

_The man nodded toward his companions. "Then we'll do exactly that," he replied._

_Sailor Nebula glanced over at the prince, praying that they would all come out of this alive, but seeing the devastation flashing in his eyes. No..._

_Dain felt the energy building, and tossed his sword off to the side. Forbidden... so what. He didn't care anymore._

_"Dain, no..." his father breathed, knowing full well what was happening._

_The ice sword had reappeared in the man's hands, and he stepped closer, brandishing the weapon._

_"Your highness..." Nebula began, her gaze flickering between the king and the enemy. Quickly she stepped in between them, raising her staff just in time to deflect the first blow... and the next, and the next. The man was advancing with terrible strength, and Nebula suddenly could not gain enough presence of mind to recall one of her non-staff-wielding attacks. "Oh no," she gasped, and watched helplessly as, in an instant, the sword blade slid dangerously close past her side... and right into the king._

_"NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" She screamed, spinning and catching the crumpling man in her arms. The expression on her face was one of complete pain as she cried out, finally, with the one thing she could remember. "Final Retreat!" A burst of color engulfed her and the king, just as the sword blade passed through the space again. But they were out of the way._

_Dain had hit the breaking point. "BLINDING DEATH!" A tremendous amount of hot white energy instantly covered his body and exploded outward in a blinding ring. The black crescent people that stood in front of him didn't stand a chance as the energy vaporized every one of them, leaving nothing behind. Mind whirling, sweat pouring, and anger sending hot tears down his cheeks, Dain watched as the ring continued to travel outward, gradually fading as the energy spent itself. He squeezed his eyes shut at the mental image of his father falling... "Home," he whispered, using the same forbidden energy to bring himself back to the throne room, and took off at a dead run._


End file.
